Chronicles of Knothole: Code Named SMASH
by Miles Depth
Summary: Part 1 of The Knothole Chronicles. Years after King Acorn's return, Robotnik has all but disappeared. However, it doesn't take Sonic and the others long discover that Robotnik may no longer be the biggest threat.
1. Chapter 1 Home

"…got it?" echoed in his head as he slowly opened his eyes.

Looking around Sonic realized that he had fallen asleep for quite some time, as he often stopped to take a rest on such long missions. The voice in his radio faded back in "…do you understand?"

While he already thought he knew what Nicole was saying he asked her to repeat, sighting some silly reason as an excuse for his lack of attention.

Nicole replied "We need you back here in less than five hours, the information you have is time sensitive. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Yeah I got it, I'll be back in a flash." Sonic replied.

He sat up from the old couch where he was resting. Robotnik didn't care much for the old shipping yard, which meant there was minimal security. With plenty of old buildings, it was an excellent spot to take a rest. Although he had slept longer than he would have liked this time, he saw no reason to hurry, he had plenty of time to return back to Knothole. Taking his time, he made his way back down the stairs to the front of the abandoned building.

The longer and considerably more dangerous trips into Megatropolis had begun to wear on Sonic. His most recent mission involved sneaking into one of Robotniks headquarters and downloading as much information as he could from one of the terminals. Sonic didn't like dealing with computers much. Luckily Nicole and Roter had given him a PDA that did most of the work for him. This meant that he could often set up the device to hack a terminal and return for it later, greatly reducing the risk of him getting caught.

When Sonic reached the bottom floor he walked towards the door, which was barley attached to its hinges. This shipping yard was on the outskirts of the city, and the buildings had not yet been cleared to make way for any of Robotnik's factories. He carefully opened the door to prevent it from creaking or falling off the hinges all together. Even though Sonic had five hours, the last thing he needed was a security patrol to hear him. Taking a step out he stood at the top of the set of stairs that led up to the entrance of the building. He took a moment to gather his surroundings, and look out across the river. Many of the docks had fallen into the water right next to the sunken boats they were tied to. Sonic disliked this part of the city, it had a dark and dreary feel that seemed to get under his skin.

After reaching the bottom step, Sonic took off at a brisk pace along the river back towards Knothole. He quickly noticed the drastic change in the weather that had occurred while he was sleeping. As much as he didn't like the looming storm clouds, rain would be helpful; it decreased visibility and jammed many of Robotniks electronics.

Sonic continued to run by all down buildings at half speed, conserving his energy incase he would need it later. What was left of the city reminded Sonic of a ghost town, completely deserted, things left in place as if their owners would be home at any moment to use them. It created an eerie feeling of constantly being watched. Despite this he focused on finding a main road so that he leave the city.

Although, it then occurred to him that the whole reason he had been sent on this mission was to determine why Robotnik had suddenly lost interest in the few remaining Mobian's left in Knothole, that was not what was on the forefront of his mind. He was sure that had seen someone besides Snively in a factory the day before, and it certainly was fat enough too have been Robotnik nor metallic enough to be one of his bots. The lack of attention they had been receiving from Robotnik, almost always meant that he was up to something. He decided that perhaps he should pay extra attention on the way home despite the rain.

Normally Sonic stayed off the roads to avoid attention, but the rain had made the ground to soft to run on. He took a right onto one of the old highway bridges that crossed the river surrounding the city. Even though the river was close to a mile wide, the bridge only spanned three quarters of it until it fell into the water below leaving a large gap. From the best he could tell the bridge had been hit by an attack hundreds of years ago, which left a 100-foot break between his side and the other. Robotnik clearly had no interest in maintaining the roads. Most of his vehicles either flew or used a rail system.

Sonic knew that if he ran fast enough the gap would be no problem to clear; after all he had done it at least three or four times before. The large break in the bridge quickly approached. Speeding up he executed his jump no more than a step away from the edge. Just like last time, he cleared the jump with at least fifty feet to spare.

Just two miles after the bridge, the road changed directions heading out into the open prairie. It amazed Sonic how the scenery changed so quickly just a few miles outside of the city. Even though it was still early in the morning, enough light shown through the rain clouds to illuminate the spring landscape. Flowers were in full bloom, and the field grass that was almost as tall as he was swayed back and forth in time with the gusts of wind. It was a shame that the rest of the world couldn't share the peace and beauty this land had inherited. The sheer amount of toxins emitted Robotnik's city had killed all life surrounding the city long ago. Sonic enjoyed traveling on this road. While he had to watch out for many of the roads hazards caused by its extreme disrepair, the road swound across the wide-open plains letting its travelers see for miles on end.

After two hours of running, Sonic knew he was getting close to his final turn. He thought it was ironic that a road that lead straight out of Robotropolis cut so close to Knothole. While Knothole was still close to fifty miles away from the road, in the grand scheme of things that was close for a hidden city.

Sonic turned off the road in no particular place because he didn't want to make path that could be followed. He knew the surrounding area of Knothole down to every tree. It had been his playground when he was younger, and it had clearly paid off. He could now navigate the nearby forest at speed, greatly reducing his return times. Only a hand full of the other freedom fighters knew the forest as well as he did. The forest was infamously disorienting to anyone who traveled in it because of the all the tightly packed similar looking trees. Moreover the surrounding iron deposits made compasses useless and the tall trees kept out most satellite signals.

Knothole was an escape for him when he was young, but looking back it had changed a lot. Six years ago, Roter had devised a way to make the tree grow to three times their normal height. This essentially made the valley the city was built in, appear to be a flat forest. Because the trees were so much bigger, they could easily support structures, all the while obscuring the view of the city from the sky. This gave the freedom fighters a perfect place to build an entire city, part of which was elevated in the trees.

There were not too many ways into Knothole for the average person. Most areas surrounding the cities were at least fifty foot drops, making entrance to the city difficult. Sonic almost always used the log slide that had been there since he was kid. The slide reminded him of what the world used to be like when he was a kid, a world without a genocidal robot producing doctor.

Leaving the city without the King's permission was now strictly forbidden. As a result many of the normal entrances had been sealed off, just leaving the ones that no one knew about. This was to prevent citizens from getting captured or lost in the forest.

When Sonic finally reached the slide he took his pack of and tossed it in, jumping in himself a second later. The thirty-second ride down gave him a chance to relax, which after nearly three and a half hours of running was much deserved. When Sonic reached the bottom he put back on his backpack and dusted himself off. Deciding that he had run enough for the day, he casually walked towards the center of the city.

Having been gone on his mission for nearly a week, he noticed that almost nothing had changed since he left. Even though Robotropolis was only about four hours away, he had to spend a long time learning security patrol routes and access codes, especially when he was at the heart of the city where security was more intense.

Even though he was considered by almost the entire town to be a hero, he was able to walk through town with little more than a few waves and greetings. This pleased him, because he wanted nothing more than to drop off the information and return home so he could relax.

Even from a mile away, the capital building, which resembled a magnificent medieval castle, stood out above the surrounding buildings. Walking up to door, booth of the guards sized him up, and then motioned for the door to be opened. He expressed his thanks to the guards and continued to walk inside without breaking stride.

Much like the slide, walking through this building often brought back memories of his child hood. He had been there many times with his uncle when he was younger. While his uncle and the King talked, Sonic would play with the Kings daughter, Sally. With what had happened over the years, it was no surprise their friendship had endured, but he was still thankful for it. As he walked down the long hallway approaching the council of Acorn's meeting room, he began to wonder when he would get to see Sally.

When he reached the door, he could hear a large murmur coming from inside. Just as he suspected all of the Members of the council had already been convened there for some time awaiting his arrival. Given the sensitivity of the information he had he suspected they wanted to see it first. The guard at the door quickly said something inaudible on his radio and then proceeded to open the door for him.


	2. Chapter 2 Rebirth

As soon as he walked through the door Sally was waiting there for him with a smirk on her face. He could tell right away that she had become annoyed with how long he had been gone. She quickly ran up and gave him a hug, which he was very happy to receive.

Sally whispered in his ear "meet me at command later so we can catch up"

Sally spent all of her time in the command center in the basement of the building. Much like her father she devoted herself to serving the people. She was one of the best strategists they had, and was often the one who planned his missions.

Sonic also noticed Amy standing in the back of the room. The look on Amy's face suggested that the hug Sally had given him had rubbed her the wrong way. Sonic knew Amy had feelings for him, but it wasn't until just recently she had become a serious part of his life.

Less than eight months ago she had found one of the few magic rings of Acorn. The rings will grant any wish the holder requests, but can only be used once. Previous to finding the ring Amy wasn't even a teenager, but used the power of the ring to make herself older so she could get closer to Sonic. While this greatly displeased the council, it seems things may not have been for the worst. Amy, as it turns out is now one of the best freedom fighters they have, and often assists Sonic on missions.

Ignoring all of this Sonic walked towards the center of the room where Roter and Nicole were waiting for him. Nicole could only project herself as a hologram, but almost everybody considered her a real person. While no one but her knows where exactly she came from, she has proven to be invaluable over the years. In there last big stand off with Robotnik, Nicole was able to rebuild most of the city using one his creations gone astray. It was only logical that she include a few upgrades for herself, allowing her to project an image of a corporeal being that she had devised. Before then, it was hard to imagine her as anything more than a over powered PDA.

"Sonic if you would please place your PDA on the terminal in front of you, we don't have much time." Nicole said to him

Sonic quickly remembered that the mission was time sensitive, and began to feel slightly ashamed for walking back from slide. Putting this aside he walked up and placed the PDA on the terminal and let Roter plug it in for him. Immediately Nicole began processing the information.

Nicole sighed with relief almost immediately saying "excellent the algorithm has not shifted yet. I am sorry I had to hurry you along Sonic, but it was just this morning that we found out that all of the information stored on Robotnik's computers is protected by a new time sensitive algorithm"

Confused Sonic asked "So that means…?"

"It means that all of the information on his computers is protected by a password that shifts every twelve hours. Luckily Amy returned this morning with that information, as well has the password for the current twelve hour cycle." Nicole replied

Hastily Sonic asked "Well what's it say, I hope I didn't risk my butt for nothing…again"

Slightly Irritated, Nicole kindly replied " I won't know until I am done decrypting all of the information. Once I am done with that, it won't matter what time it is, we will always have the ability to read it. I do not want risk processing any of the information until I have it all decrypted. So if you don't mind I would like some time to work on this. May I advise that everyone take a recess until I have this completed?

Everyone glanced at the King whom silently nodded in agreement. With that, the room slowly emptied leaving Amy and Sonic. Sonic was by no means afraid of Amy and appreciated her friendship, he just had to be weary of some of her underlying motives.

Amy started "Long time no see, Sonic."

"Business as usual" he replied casually as he began walking towards the door. Amy quickly caught up and began walking with him.

Again Amy started the conversation "Wana go get some lunch Sonic?"

As politely as he could Sonic said "I told Sally I would go catch up with her, maybe some other time".

"Well maybe you would like to go for a walk later tonight, under the stars, it would be so romantic." Amy continued in the most adorable voice she could produce.

Unsure of how to continue Sonic picked up the pace so that Amy was now forced to run and responded "let's talk later, I have to go."

Feeling put off as Sonic hastily moved away she shouted "You can't ignore me forever Sonic Hedgehog".

Not looking forward to his future conversation with Amy, he concentrated on finding the stairs that led to command center. The center was located a mile underground, and even for him, the stairs took a good minute to reach the bottom. The command center was also designed to be bunker and safe house for the king. While there were plans for an elevator, it was never built because no one could find time to build it during the war.

When Sonic reached the bottom he knocked on the large metal door just five feet from the landing. In a matter of seconds he heard the two dead bolts move and the door slowly swung open. It was no surprise at all to find Sally eagerly waiting for him just on the other side of the door. As he walked in Sally began shutting the door behind him while asking "Are you hungry"?

Sonic hadn't eaten a meal in what seemed like a week. His missions required him to travel light, meaning he could only bring a small amount of food with him. Seeing as there were not any food vendors in Robotropolis he had no means of replacing what he ate.

"Very" he answered

"I thought so. I got some of your favorite". Sally said motioning over to the plate of chili dogs on the table.

Thrilled, Sonic sat down immediately and proceeded take a very large bite out of one of the hot dogs. Looking slightly disgusted, but not surprised Sally moved to the opposite side of the table and sat across from him.

"How was your trip, anything out of the ordinary or dangerous?" She asked.

Struggling to swallow the large bite he had just taken Sonic gulped and took a deep breath. He then responded unenthusiastically, "Well it certainly was no vacation. As for the danger, you know me Sal, danger is my middle name." He paused for a second, which Sally picked up on and immediately asked "What is it?"

Absorbed in the memory of his image of the unknown person he had seen in the factory, he slowly responded "I saw someone new working for Robotnik".

Thinking he was being sarcastic Sally responded by saying "He built another robot, no surprise there."

Seeing that she had misunderstood what meant he clarified, "No. Another human, he was taller than Snively, but way less fat than Robotnik. I only saw him for a few seconds, but I am sure it was someone else."

Sonic continued to eat while Sally thought about what he said. It wasn't long before she responded "If you're so sure why didn't you mention this to the council"?

"Sal when was the last time we saw another Human besides the two goons that run Robotropolis?"

"My farther mentioned them in his war stories, but I haven't ever seen one. It's been at least twenty five years since they disappeared."

"Exactly" Sonic replied "don't you think it's odd that they would just all the sudden reappear. I don't want to sound like a nut. It was probably just my eyes playing tricks on me. Who knows? Maybe Nicole will know something about it after she gets done decrypting all of that information."

"Perhaps" Sally said as she continued to mull it over in her mind.

Sonic ended the short span of silence by belching after he finished the last of his chili dogs. He slumped down his chair with the satisfaction of a full stomach and glanced up to see Sally glaring at him.

Both of them simultaneously looked to the side where Nicole had appeared saying "I hope I am not interrupting anything"

Sally snidely remarked "Hardly" clearly still annoyed with his lack of manners.

Sensing the emotion in Sally's voice Nicole quickly replied in a cheery voice "I have almost finished processing all the data, the King would like you to rejoin him up stairs in the meeting room". After completing her sentence she winked at Sally and promptly disappeared.

Noticing the wink Sonic asked "What was that about? She seems more cheerful than usual."

Understanding his curiosity Sally merely replied "We are friends; we have our secrets, secrets that you don't need to know."

"Sheesh you two are like a bunch of gossiping teenagers" Sonic muttered.

"Well, for the record one of us is, and the other is a super computer that wishes she was."

They both got up and headed for the door. Sonic took his time walking up the stairs so he could chat with Sally. Even though she still seemed irritated, he was sure that deep down she liked his childish nature.

No longer bothered, Sally asked "So what are you doing tonight?"

Smiling, Sonic responded "It's funny you should ask."

"And why is that?"

"Amy asked me on a date…again."

"Are you going to go?"

"Nah, what is that you had in mind."

"Well it certainly wasn't a date. My father wanted to have dinner with the two of us."

Sonic was good friends with the King, but social situations were not his forte. He sarcastically remarked "Maybe I should take up Amy on that date".

Knowing full well that Sonic disliked social venues such as this she mockingly said back "I am sure my dad will understand." Changing tones she continued, "Although you can't just keep ignoring little Amy Rose. She may think she is grown up, but her mind is still that of a twelve year olds' no matter how tough a fighter she is."

"That's the problem," Sonic replied "She is still just a kid. Even though she looks older I have always known her to be the little girl she used to be. I appreciate her affection, but it's a little too intense at times."

Again mockingly Sally retorted, "You don't say". Clearly conjuring up one of Amy's many failed attempts at asking Sonic out.

Unbeknown to the two they were nearing the meeting room, still carrying on quite loudly. Out of nowhere Amy appeared in front of them, startling them and leaving them both wide eyed. Unsure if she had heard any of the conversation Sonic mustered all of the confidence he could and said "What's up Amy?"

Enthralled by the enthusiasm in his voice Amy quickly responded in a very positive voice, "Everyone's waiting for you two, you probably shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."

Both Sally and Sonic nodded in agreement. They both continued to walk down the hall to their destination now joined by Amy, who leaned on Sonic and asked "So what do you say about tonight?" in an overdone longing voice.

Glancing over at Sally, whom was clearly getting a laugh out of the situation, Sonic turned back to Amy and said "I am sorry Amy I can't, I have dinner with the King tonight".

Not satisfied with his answer she asked "Come on just a short walk after dinner!"

Sonic again looked over at Sally who nodded this time.

Hesitantly Sonic said "Alright."

Overjoyed Amy quickly said "See you later then", and ran off ahead of them.

With a confused look on his face he turned to Sally again, but she already had started to say, "It will give you a chance to explain things to her. It will be good for the both of you."

"Who are you, Aly"? Sonic replied sarcastically.

Aly was the local love guru who responded to anonymous letters in the newspaper. Ironically however, Sally was in fact Aly, but this was unknown to everyone except for Nicole. It was one of her small side projects to keep herself sane and more in touch with emotion. Her father had been keeping her close to the capital all the time, and gave her very little to do. As a result she and Nicole devised this as another way to help the people and overt boredom. Sally just laughed at the remark because she knew Sonic was only kidding.

Together they walked into the room and took their seats. Everyone had already gathered, and Nicole was already present on the hologram.

Nicole started on her briefing, "What little information I have gathered is interesting. Most of what you downloaded, Sonic, was technical specifications for projects and city layouts, all of which are very useful. However there is nothing in here that suggests he is up to anything out of the ordinary.

The King added, "Well I highly doubt he has given up!"

"No I am sure he hasn't" Nicole responded, "there is nothing indicating the slightest change in any of his tactics or day tot day operations."

Sonic caught a glance from Sally suggesting that he bring up what he had seen. Instead he asked, "How did Amy get the information regarding the algorithm"

Confused Nicole looked at Amy then back at Sonic and then said "She cornered Snively yesterdays in a factory on the south side of Robotropolis. Why is that important?"

Sonic Hastily responded "What time of day?"

Nicole looked at Amy for the answer. After realizing this Amy chimed in saying "In the late afternoon, close to three o'clock. Why?"

"Because" Sonic said "it means that there are more humans now. I saw a human at roughly the same time on the opposite side of the city, and it defiantly wasn't Robotnik"

The King spoke up saying "That's simply absurd, humans haven't been seen for twenty five years or more".

"Actually" said Nicole, "he may be right".

A dull murmur quickly filled the room and the king waved his hand to silence everyone.

Nicole continued "I just checked the shipping logs, and Robotnik has three new ships in his bay that don't match any specifications I have seen before. From the look the schematics they are interstellar space ships. While not likely, it is possible that these could be human ships that have returned home."

The King stood and said "Why didn't this turn up in your initial report Nicole?"

Nicole looking slightly ashamed replied "Because the ships presences are normal, Dr. Robotnik has been traveling into space for years now. It wasn't until I looked more closely at the design that I realized they were most likely not built by him. I know you all think highly of me, but I make mistakes just like the rest of you. I also learn from them, I will examine future intelligence with greater depth and from more angles."

"Nicole," said the King "it is quiet all right, it is sometimes hard to remember that you are as sentient as the rest of us, we should be grateful that we have you". This made Nicole smile, but the King continued "We need to confirm this new information at once, the last thing we need is the rebirth of the human race, they have caused our kind enough pain in the past. This meeting is adjourned until we know more."

The room quickly emptied, everyone talking about the possible return of the humans. Sonic, Sally and Amy stayed behind to catch up.

"Did you really see another human Sonic" asked Amy.

"Like said, I know it wasn't Fatso, and it had too much hair to be Snively" Sonic replied.

"We shouldn't worry about this until we know more" said Sally "For all we know, it was a new robot that is designed to look like humans. It wouldn't be the first Robotnik has tried to trick us".

"But why make fake humans instead of Mobians" asked Sonic "and wouldn't they have shown up in the new designs in the data I brought back?"

Thinking about it Sally smiled and said "Maybe Dr. Robotnik got lonely."

All three laughed at the thought as they walked towards the door.

Amy then stepped in front of Sonic with wide glazed eyes and asked "Were still on for tonight right Sonic?"

Scratching his head searching for ideas Sonic managed to get out "Sure, can't wait."

Amy immediately gave him a big hug and ran out the door and down the hallway. As she left she yelled "I'll see you later then."

Sally and Sonic continued to walk down the hall talking. It wasn't until they got outside that Sally put her arm around Sonic's and leaned against him, resting her head gently on his shoulder as they walked. Surprised by this unusual level of affection Sally was showing, Sonic chose to remain in the same demeanor he had been in prior to her holding his hand.

Talking softly she said, "Are you looking forward to tonight?"

"Are you referring to my date with Amy or dinner" Sonic responded in a slightly agitated voice.

"The dinner of course! And don't act like talking with Amy will kill you, you just need to explain things to her."

"I Know."

Looking down at the ground now, Sally said "There is one thing that I forgot to mention before."

Nervous now Sonic hesitantly asked "And what is that?"

Unsure of how to explain Sally began "This dinner is really important. The main thing is that you be yourself. Just be polite, and for the love of all that is good eat slowly!"

"I don't understand."

"Sonic, my father is getting old; he needs to find someone for me to…"

Cutting her off Sonic finished the sentence "rule the kingdom with?"

"Yes" she reluctantly replied "I thought you should know. I don't want it to change anything between us. My father just wants to get to know you better. There are not a lot of people that he would allow to share the thrown with me".

Trying to be positive Sonic said "Thanks Sal. You know I won't let you down."

"I know." she replied in a warm comforting voice as she squeezed his hand. She let go and turned towards her house. After taking only two steps she turned back to remind Sonic "Dinner is at seven, don't be late."

"Sal when have I ever been late to anything".

Sally smiled and turned back continuing her walk towards her home.


	3. Chapter 3 Patience

Sonics day had gone from dreary to better to bad. It's not that he didn't like Sally, the thought of marrying her had often crossed his mind. But the dinner was a different story, he knew how proper and serious the King was. Sonic knew that this was the one type of pressure he couldn't handle, just thinking about it was making him sweat.

He had been outnumbered by SWAT BOTS so many times before, but always managed to keep his cool. Now a dinner party was besting him. He didn't even understand why the King thought so highly of him. Sure he had saved knothole countless times, and helped rescue the King himself. But the King knew just as well as everyone else that Sonic wasn't cut out for politics.

When he reached is front door, his Mother, Bernadette, came rushing into greet him. Sonics mom was always the first one to greet him when he got home. She had spent so much time away from him over last several years that even the smallest time away seemed to cause her some pain. So it wasn't surprising when she immediately noticed that he had a worried look on his face and asked, "What's wrong?"

It always amazed Sonic how his parents could tell when something was wrong. He spent so much time away from them, and yet they knew him as well as anyone else. Even though they where his parents, he had trouble communicating with them, which was most likely a result of the years they spent detained by Dr. Robotnik. He was never really sure what to say, but Sonic reluctantly explained the circumstances to his mother.

"Sonic, you just have to be your self. There is no need to try to impress anyone, everyone knows who you are already. Go to the party and enjoy your time there. And as I recall you have some of your own war stories to share." Explained Sonic's mom.

Looking past his Mom he saw father, Jules, sitting in the living room reading the morning paper. When his father noticed he was walking over to him, he set the paper down and stood up to greet him. Sonic walked over and gave him a hug and then sat down next to him. Sonics father sat back down as well, and then picked the paper back up. Peering over one of the pages he asked, "Sonic, how was your trip?"

"Not so great. I got to see a lot of the same old unfriendly faces and to sit around for a long time. Anything exiting happen here why I was gone?"

"No, it would seem as if everything has returned to normal."

"As much as I wish it would, I doubt things will stay normal. It wouldn't be like the doctor to just give up."

Seeing that his dad agreed, but was more interested in what he was reading Sonic walked back into the Kitchen to talk with his mom.

"What if I mess up?"

"Sonic it doesn't matter. Everyone here, including the king owes you a great many thanks, you are entitled to mess up. Either way, Sally wont think any differently of you."

Feeling slightly more reassured sonic said "Your probably right. I am going to go catch up on my sleep. I have a feeling this will be a longer and more boring party than I am used to, I don't want to fall asleep during it."

Smiling his mom said, "That's the spirit."

Sonic walked up the stairs to his room and plopped himself down on his bed. It didn't take long for sleep to overcome him; he hadn't gotten much over the last week.

Meanwhile Sally had also made her way home. When she arrived, she sat down in her living room to rest. Moments later her father joined her. Sitting down across from her it was obvious what this conversation was going to be about.

"Did you explain things to him, Sally my dear."

"Of course Dad, but that doesn't change who he is and you know that."

"I am well aware of who he is, which is exactly why I invited him to dinner tonight."

Not sure of what her father meant, Sally pulled her knees up to her chest, leaned back in the chair and stared out the window. She heard her father slowly get up off of his chair. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Sally" explained her father, "I know how much you appreciate the boy, I wont make him think less of himself".

She turned to face her father, who was already staring into her eyes. "Thanks" she said softly.

She knew her father loved her, but he rarely had time to show it. She hardly ever knew how to react when he showed this much support. Sally had virtually raised herself from the time she was eight. Having only got her parents and many of the other Mobians back in the last year was wonderful, but confusing at the same time.

As her dad left the room, he said "You shouldn't dally my dear, your going to want to start getting ready soon."

Sally glanced over at the clock sitting in the corner of the room. She still had close to six hours before the dinner. As it was, she already knew what she was going to wear, she had picked out a long time ago. As much as she loved wearing her blue vest that she had gotten from Julayla, she needed to look like royalty tonight.

She sighed to herself, and curled back up in her chair resting in the warm sunlight that now shone through the window. She tried not to worry about the coming night, and rather take this time to relax, watching as the birds out side the window jumped from branch to branch on a nearby tree.

After leaving Sally and Sonic behind, Amy ran as fast as she could to meet up with her sparing partner, Julie-Su. The whole reason she made the wish using the magic ring was so that she could join the freedom fighters and be with sonic. As soon as she was as old as Sonic, she began training with Julie-Su, Knuckles girlfriend. As frustrating as it was starting off so far behind everyone, the practice paid off. She now got to work side by side with Sonic as well as running her own operations. Forgetting that she had a rather large smile on her face, she casually walked up to Julie-Su.

Seeing her unusually happy student Julie-Su asked "Why are we so happy this morning, I can't imagine that you are looking forward to all of the work we will be doing?"

Quickly wiping the smile offer her face Amy responded "oh… nothing".

"That was too big of a smile for nothing. I am guessing it has something to do with Sonic"

With a slight hint of a smirk on her face Amy looked away and subtly nodded her head. Julie-Su knew that Sonic was the reason Amy trained with her every day. She knew that Amy wanted nothing more than to prove to Sonic that she was the best.

Continuing Juli-Su said, "Well I guess its my job to get rid of that smile that's still lurking in you. Don't think that just because you come here happy I won't work you as hard!"

Amy had chosen Julie-Su because she knew just how hard she worked, there wasn't a better workout partner.

"Common" said Julie-Su "we will start out nice and easy with a ten mile run."

"Easy!" exclaimed Amy "Don't you think that's a bit much for today."

"No… and besides that's just the warm up."

Amy was no longer looking forward to the next few hours of her day, as she sprinted to catch up with Julie Su as they set out on their run.

"Sonic… Sonic are you in here" said Bernadette, as she tapped on the door. "You don't want to be late to dinner"

Feeling as if he had gotten no sleep at all, Sonic rolled over to look at his alarm clock, which he had forgot to set, to see that it was six thirty-five. He immediately sprang to life, jumping out of bed. He only had 25 min to get ready and arrive at the castle on time. He ran down stairs looking for his mom, but stopped half way down surprised to find her standing at the bottom holding a freshly cleaned suit. He casually walked down the rest of the stairs and took the suit from his mom while saying "Its so good to have you back, I don't know what I would do with out you." His mom just smiled and returned to the kitchen.

After getting ready he had less than ten minuets to get the capital building for dinner. But he knew that wouldn't be a problem, after all he was the fastest thing alive. He rushed down the stairs and said goodbye to his mom as we walked out the front door. He set off at a modest pace towards the center of town, taking special care not to get his suit dirty.

Sally had been pacing back and forth in her dress for what seemed like an hour. She never thought she would find herself as nervous about something as she was now. All the time she spent staring out the window had not done as much good as she had hoped it would. She new this dinner wasn't really different than any other she had been too. It was just the thought of her father leaving her again that troubled her. On top of that she wasn't sure if she was ready to lead the people. This dinner reminded her off all of those things that she didn't want to have to think about.

Deciding that she had spent enough time walking back and forth worry about things that have not yet come to pass, she took one final look in the mirror. Satisfied that she looked acceptable, she stepped out of her room. Sally was surprised to fin her mother Alicia standing outside the door.

"Come on Sally I though we could walk over to the castle together" she said.

Taking a glance at the clock, and seeing that they had hour before dinner Sally nodded her head in agreement. Together they walked out the front door and strolled down the sidewalk.

Her mother began again "Sally don't mind your father, he loves you very much. I can tell he is making you worry to much."

"I know mother, but it just that I don't know if I am ready to lead anymore. I know I did it before you and father where rescued, but it was different then, there were not as many of us and things were less complicated. I don't feel as free as I used to either, father always has plans for me."

"He is just trying to what he thinks is right for you. And please don't worry about ruling the kingdom, I have only seen you for a little while now, and I know that you will do a fine job when the day comes."

Only feeling slightly relieved sally gave her mother a reassuring smile. They walked the rest of the of the way to the capital building enjoying each others company.

Amy laid face down in the grass aching, after having been just flipped over Julie-Su's shoulder by her arm. It was the fourth time in ten minuets that Julie-Su had defeated her. Amy rolled over to see Julie-Su offering her a hand up while saying "You need to move quicker, and anticipate your opponent's next attack."

Amy just sighed and clasped Julie-Su's hand as she pulled her up. Amy had always known that Julie-Su was tough, but she had yet to defeat her in one of their sparing matches. She knew that Julie-Su was considered to be an equal with Knuckles, who was full-blown guardian. Amy could no longer imagine how she was going to beat her.

In a slightly mocking voice Julie-Su said "Come on, one more round."

Despite her pain, Amy nodded her head and walked over to where her Pico Hammer lay on the ground. She picked it up surprised, as it had seemed to have grown heavier since the last time she held it, probably due to her exhaustion. Calming her self, she took a deep breath readying her-self. She raised he hammer in front of her as if it were a sword, signaling to Julie-Su that she was ready. Julie-Su in turn made motion with her hand beckoning Amy to give her, her best shot.

Amy had learned time and time again not to rush into things, patience and persistence was the key to victory. Sizing up her opponent she determined that July-Su was slightly off balance and vulnerable to an attack from her left side. All at once she stepped quickly to Julie-Su's right while keeping her hammer out swung to her more vulnerable left side.

Realizing Amy's attack plan Julie-Su quickly corrected her footwork and ducked below the oncoming hammer. Having missed her attack, Amy quickly stepped back out of Julie-Su's reach and prepared herself for her next attempt. Deciding that the best course of action would be to directly attack her opponent, Amy raised the hammer above her head and ran in at full bore. Julie-Su jumped out of the way of the oncoming attack just as Amy's hammer hit the ground. Performing a perfect back flip in the air Julie-Su landed right on top of Amy's hammer, which was now implanted in the ground. Seeing her carelessness, Amy wasn't sure what her next move should be; she just knew that she needed to figure it out fast. Seeing the oncoming kick from her opponent, Amy ducked out of the way and simultaneously kicked the handle of her hammer sideways, causing Julie-Su to spin 180 degrees around. It was now or never, Amy had her chance while her rivals back was to her. Jumping up she quickly grabbed Julie-Su's fore arm and flipped he over right shoulder just as she had done to her not five minuets ago. It worked, Julie-Su it the ground with a thud.

With a surprised look on her face Julie-Su got up and dusted herself off. "Good job kid, your finally starting to learn something."

Amy curtsied and said "Thank you."

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off, you deserve it," Julie-Su said as she walked over to Amy

Surprised Amy wasn't sure how to respond

"Go on," Julie Su Said "get out of here. Just promise me you wont have too much fun tonight"

Now smiling Amy walked over and picked up her hammer. She turned and waved goodbye to Julie-Su who was still standing there. Excited that the hard part of her day was over Amy figured she had at least four hours before the dinner would be over. Fueled by the thought finally having some time alone with Sonic she ran the rest of the way home.


	4. Chapter 4 Looking to the Future

--Chapter-4 Looking to The Future--

Sonic was nearing the dining room with two minuets too spare. He walked casually past the two guards stationed at the door. When he walked into the room he surprised to see that the table had more guests that he was anticipating. If that wasn't enough the only available seat was to the Kings right, at the head of the table. Sonic could already feel the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he pressed on and walked towards the end of the table.

The room was decorated beyond its usual dull fashion. The table had a blinding white tablecloth draped over it. Equally as bright and noticeable was the glasses and silverware on the table. The King had clearly gone to great lengths to either impress Sonic, or put more pressure on him. Sonic noticed that even the floor seemed to shine with an unusual glisten as he approached the table. It was almost as if he could se is reflection in the Cherry wood surface.

When the King noticed he had arrived he stood and said "Ah Sonic my boy your just on time, come and sit down", while motioning to the chair next to him. "I believe you already know everyone here" he continued, while looking across the table to the other members of the council, his wife, and Sally.

Sonic sat down next to the King and across from Sally. The Kings warm introduction had calmed his nerves a little, but the look on Sally's face that read "you call that on time", was not helping.

Moments after being seated, the first course of food was brought out. Hesitant to start, Sonic looked for Sally's approval. It seemed that everyone was waiting for the King to start. However, he first proposed a toast, raising his glass and saying rather loudly "To my dear family, friends and colleagues let us enjoy this night and be thankful that we have each other, for things change far to quickly. We must always be looking to the future, striving to do as much as we can to improve it for the generations to come."

A "here here" from a few members of the table followed the toast, showing their support for their king and his words. Shortly after, he lifted his silver wear and began to eat.

Sonic had already caught a glance from Sally suggesting that it was now alright to eat when he went for his utensils. He did his best to eat slowly, even though the word slow rarely fit into anything he did. To his surprise the food was not as good as he expected. He thought that might be because he rarely experienced such high quality meals. He suspected he lacked the taste to fully appreciate the food.

It didn't take long for the King to start in on a political conversation. Luckily he chose not to include Sonic. Although Sonic wasn't sure if he should jump in to show enthusiasm or just sit still and try look interested. Rather than make a fool of himself, Sonic opted to stay out of the conversation and proceeded to cut his steamed vegetables into smaller portions.

Unfortunately the King seemed to have other plans, and seeing that Sonic had not yet participated in the conversation asked "Sonic how would you change the Kingdom?"

Now feeling more pressure than he had in his entire life, Sonic decided to lighten the mood with joke and said "Well for starters I would add a few more chili dog vendors".

The joke produced more laughs than he had expected, even the King couldn't help himself. He did however; get a very serious glare from Sally, who was clearly not amused.

The joke gave time for Sonic to think, but not as much as he would have liked. Regardless he continued but on a more serious note "Well I am flattered that you're interested in my opinion, but I believe that you all are doing a fine job. The work you have done for Knothole can not be expressed in words. You will find that I am not as knowledgeable when it comes to running kingdoms as you may think".

Pleased with his answer Sonic awaited a response from someone. In what seemed like an eternity, the silence was finally broken by the King who responded, "Well thank you for your complements, but surely there must be something you can think of"

Having had more time to think, he glanced over at his uncle Chuck who was sitting at opposite end of the table and said "I can remember my uncle telling me when I was young that if you want to make or fix something, you have to start with its most basic elements. The people may look to you as the power, but it is them that give the counsel and the monarchy its power. They are the most basic element of the power you wield. That is why I would try to involve them in as many decisions as I could. Making them feel more involved in you decisions will help empower the people. The more power you give them, the more they will respect the way you govern. For example I would allow anyone an audience with the council or the King one day of the week. This will let the people express their opinions and problems with government formally rather than in some crude manor. It will also give you a chance to become more acquainted with the citizens of knothole, whom look up to you. "

Not sure of anything he just said, Sonic glanced over at Sally to se her reaction. To his surprised the look on her face suggested that she was taken aback, or even impressed with what he had just said. Then he looked down to the other end of the table to find his Uncle, whom had a rather large smile on his face.

The King responded by saying "That was very insightful."

Feeling as if he had just dodged a bullet, Sonic was relieved when the conversation continued with out him. After a short time the King slowly drifted out of the conversation, and when he felt that he was no longer involved he turned to Sonic.

Keeping his voice low so that others would not join in on their conversation "That really was an impressive comment Sonic. I don't think you give your self enough credit."

Unsure of how to respond, he simply gave the king the truth and said "Sir, you know I don't know a lot about politics. I wasn't entirely sure of what I just said either. Most of what I said I have had herd others mention before. I know why I am here at this dinner, and I just want you to remember that my strengths are else where".

Not changing a muscle in his face the king replied "I know where your strengths lie Sonic Hedgehog. Have you ever considered that I am not worried about your skills in ruling the kingdom, but the man who marries my daughter? I can't think of anyone who could protect her better than you".

Caught entirely off guard Sonic wasn't even sure which emotion to display. Luckily for him he didn't have to worry long because Nicole had emerged in the center of the table.

She apologized immediately saying, "I am sorry to interrupt but this information requires urgent attention".

Looking slightly agitated the king said "well then what is it"

Continuing Nicole said "Tails and a team of his scouts where able to capture images of not one but two additional humans using long distance telephoto lenses. Shall I display the images?"

"Yes of course" replied the king

The first of the two images showed two moderately built adults; both of whom looked nothing like either Snivly or Dr. Robotnik. In the second image one of the humans had turned their face more towards the camera, pointing at some piece of equipment that lay a few feet behind him.

After seeing the second image the King moved uncomfortably in his chair and uttered the word "Simmons" quietly under his breath.

The King turned back to Nicole and ordered to "keep Tails and his scouts on them, I want updates every half hour!"

"Of course Sir" Nicole bowed and faded out

With that he stormed out of the room.

Sonic moved quickly to catch up with him asking, "Who was that Sir?"

"An old friend who's finally come home" the king replied

Relizing that he did not want to be followed, Sonic stopped and let the King continue on his own. Queen Alica brushed by Sonic shouting the Kings name as he stood there. Guessing that Sally knew more he walked back over to the table, where she was now sitting alone.

"Some party huh?" Sonic began, "Don't suppose you know what that was about?"

Looking rather let down Sally replied, "Sorry Sonic I don't, the only thing I can assume is that my father knows who that man is".

Figuring a change in venue might cheer her up Sonic asked "Well now that dinners is done, with time to spare, would you care to do anything else?"

"I supposed we could take a walk in the court yard" she said as she got up out of her chair and moved towards the back door.

Sally moved somberly over the wood floor, her shows making a loud clack against the hard wood floor. Her dress trailed behind her, gently swaying from side to side with every step she took.

Seeing that Sally was no longer in a happy mood Sonic stepped in beside her and comforted her with an arm around her shoulder. To his surprise her mood didn't change. Persistent, he kept his hand there till they reached the out side of the capital building, where he slowly let his hand slide off of her shoulder.

"It doesn't feel like I have any say in what goes on any more, Sonic" Sally said as she moved towards the fountain. Following closely behind Sonic listened as she continued "Since my fathers return, he has kept me out of the government, which he expects me to be apart of when he is no longer able to rule. I bide my time here, occasionally doing what I can to plan missions, but even that has seen a dramatic decrease lately. I am left here spending my time worrying about you and all the other freedom fighters. When I was younger, I loved being treated like a princes. But now, there is nothing I resent more. My father seems to want me to have nothing to do with the kingdom until it's my turn to rule."

Sally sat down on the edge of the fountain and turned around. She pulled her long white dress up so that it would not get wet and then dipped the tips of her toes in the water, swirling it from side to side. Sonic joined her on the wall, but facing the opposite direction.

"Have you tried talking to him about it, Sal"

"Sonic, you know him, he is thinking of what's best for me, even if I don't like it."

Sonic turned around so that he was sitting in the same direction Sally, but pulled his knees up to his chest to keep his red sneakers from getting wet. He looked down surprised to see how clearly the night sky shown in the reflection of the water.

"Sal, I think you know better than anyone else that everything has a way of working it self out. Give him time to figure out what you capable of. He just got you back in his life as well, I am sure he doesn't want to lose you again."

Reaching down, Sonic picked up a lily flower that had floated close to him, and placed it in Sally's long deep red hair. After noticing what Sonic had done Sally looked down to examine herself in the reflection produced by the water. Finally a smile made its way across her face. Sally then leaned up against him and gave him a soft but warm felt hug. Sonic put his hand back around her shoulder, but to his surprise she got up and started to move back towards the door.

"Where are you going Sal?"

"To talk to my father" she replied "It's time I got some answers. I don't think I have been forward enough with him. Maybe if I let him know just how important helping is, he will feel less reluctant to keep me uninvolved. He may want me as his little girl for ever, but its time I tell him I have grown up".

Looking back she added in a playfully mocking voice "Don't forget about your date with _Amy_". She then disappeared inside.

Sonic still watching the door, upset that she was leaving, was surprised to see his uncle Charles walk out. His uncle looked tired, but non the less impressive, dressed in a full suit decorated with all of his medals. His uncle had been dubbed a knight before the start of the war, so there were certainly no shortages of shiny objects on his outfit. However, his uncle rarely wore such formal attire, because he much preferred more normal clothes or a lab coat.

After peering out and seeing Sonic sitting by himself on the fountain, his uncle gradually made his way over.

"Hey uncle Chuck, what's up?"

"I am fine, and how is my favorite nephew?"

"Well things could be worse, but at the moment I would say everything is A-OK"

"Good to hear. With all that just happened I was worried I wouldn't get a chance to tell you how proud of you I am. What you said over dinner was very kind, and I am glad to know you where in fact paying attention all those years ago".

"Uncle Chuck, you have been like a father to me, of course I was paying attention".

There was a slight glaze to his uncle's eyes, almost as if he were about to cry. Sonic could tell he was very proud of him, but his wondering thoughts prevented him from continuing his conversation with his uncle. Sonic moved his eyes backed to the water and was about to say something before his uncle began.

"Sonic, I am sorry to cut the conversation short, but given the recent events, the King will be expecting me shortly. I am sure we can catch up later".

"Me too, uncle Chuck"

Then his uncle too, disappeared back through the door he came from. Feeling a lone again, Sonic turned back to staring at the reflection on the surface of the water.


	5. Chapter 5 Focus

After taking a long deserved nap, Amy finally decided to get ready, not that she had to do much. She never wore anything besides her red dress, unless the occasion called for it. Even though it was some a lone time with Sonic, she saw no reason to try and overdo things, the red dress would be fine.

Amy's parents had disappeared a long time ago, most likely roboticised by Dr. Robotnik. In fact she never even knew them, so she was quiet used to living on her own. Even though she often wondered about her parents, she never spent much time missing them. She thought it was hard to miss something she never had, but admittedly would jump at the chance to get them back.

Being as anxious as she was, Amy decided to leave early, just in case the dinner got out sooner than expected, she wanted as much time with Sonic as possible. Slipping on her shoes, she walked out of her small one story house. She had purposefully picked a house far away from the center of town. As much as she loved attention, she loved privacy and alone time. The only sacrifice she had to make was the longer walk. However, this didn't bother her at all. In fact, she actually liked the walk, it gave her a chance to cool down or just think.

It was only eight o'clock when she was nearing the center of the city. With only one mile to go Amy continued her merry pace until she walked right past one of the council members walking in the opposite direction. She turned around and asked

"Excuse me Mr. Timothy were you at the dinner tonight?"

Looking slightly surprised he said "Yes."

"How is it over already, its only been an hour".

"Well there has been a… _development_ that required the kings attention, but since I am the minister of education my services where not required".

"So the dinner is over?" asked Amy

"Yes my dear it is. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Actually yes. Do you know where Sonic is?

"The last I saw him, he and Princess Sally stepped out into the back near the gardens".

"Thank you very much Mr. Timothy," Amy replied.

As much as Amy didn't like the sound of his answer, at least she had an idea of where he was.

Amy continued towards the capital building after waving goodbye to Mr. Timothy. She could see the building all lit up at the end of the street. When she reached the gates, it only took the sentry's a moment to recognize her. They maintained their positions and let her pass without any questioning. Amy was common visitor to the Capital, seeing as she was now one of their top operatives.

Amy made her way up to the main door and past another round of guards. One inside she turned down the long hallway that led to the dining room. She could see even from a distance that everyone had left.

To her surprise she saw Sir Charles walking in her direction. Seeing her as well he stopped and greeted her.

"Amy, how are you?"

"I am fine Sir Charles. I don't suppose you have seen Sonic any where?"

"Well as a matter of fact, I just spoke with him out-side near the fountain in the gardens. I am sure if you hurry you can catch him."

Amy shouted her thanks and good bye to Sir Charles as she sprinted down the remaining hall way into the dining room. The door to the garden had been propped open so it couldn't close. As soon as she stepped out into the moonlight she could see Sonic sitting somberly at the fountain by himself. It wasn't like him to be so dreary, but she suspected that he was still tired. She walked over to the opposite side of the fountain, trying not to make too much noise. Sonic still seemed to be deep in thought as he stared down at the water in the fountain. She could only wonder what he was thinking about.

Sonic was now on the verge of falling asleep. It seemed as if he had been staring at the stars through the reflection on the water for at least an hour. It had been a long time since Sonic felt this left out, tired, and a lone. The constant flow of water was fast becoming hypnotic, but Sonic continued to stare at the waters surface almost as if he were expecting it to do something exciting or different.

It was then that Amy appeared in the reflection. It took Sonic a moment to realize that she appeared not in the water, but on the other side of the fountain. Maybe he wasn't a lone after all.

"Hey, Sonic." Amy said in a quiet voice as if not trying to wake anyone

"Hi, Amy," he replied in the most normal voice he could muster

"So you mind telling me what's going on? Why did dinner end so soon?"

"Well, it turns out there are more Overlanders, Tails managed to get pictures of them. And judging by the look on the king's face when he saw them, he knows at least one of them. After that, your guess is good as mine".

Amy then asked "Well what are you doing out here then"?

"The king didn't seem to need or want me, so I came out here to enjoy the evening."

"How has it been so far."

Not really knowing what to say, Sonic said the first thing that came to mind, "Lonely."

Moving around from the other side of the fountain, Amy sat down right where Sally had been sitting earlier. Sonic was glad that someone was here now, but the thought of Amy replacing Sally seemed to jump into his head with her taking her now vacant seat.

Rather than create an awkward moment for himself, Sonic got up and began to walk towards the garden. Amy quickly got up and followed him.

Starting right in on his main point Sonic began

"Amy, the reason I invited you out here tonight was to tell you how I feel about you."

Looking confused, but very excited Amy waited patiently for him to continue.

Seeing that she misunderstood Sonic continued, "You're my friend Amy, but you need to know that I know how you feel about me. I know you're physically my age now, but to me, your still the little Amy Rose I knew last year. I know you're tough, I know how hard you work, but things cant be the way you want them to be between us".

Now realizing what he was saying, Amy looked down at the ground and continued to walk next to him. All of the sudden, she spoke up with some exuberance "Couldn't we just give things a try?"

Not surprised to see her still trying, he already had his reply prepared, "Amy I think…"

"I am sorry to interrupt Sonic, but the King would like to see you immediately," interrupted Nicole.

Looking forward, Sonic realized that she must have been standing there for a while. Nicole's ability to project herself anywhere in the city was uncanny, but she rarely used it. Now she stood only 4 feet in front of them, looking so real that one would almost think they could reach out and grasp her.

Now turning to Amy, Nicole said "I am sure your presence would be appreciated as well."


	6. Chapter 6 Elias

Sally knew that she should have probably stayed longer with Sonic, but now was too important of a time not to be involved with the kingdom and she had to prove that to her father. With more weight in her step that usual she walked back into the main dining hall and past Sir Charles who was walking in the opposite direction. She felt bad for not stopping to talk, but she had more important things to do.

She continued through the double doors towards the Kings office. The recent news had brought the entire wing of the building back to life. It would seem as if it were a normal weekday by the amount of people bustling about in the hallway. Ignoring the stares that she attracted in her over dressed attire, she pressed on to the doors at the end of the hall. With-out hesitation the guards let her by and she pushed open both doors.

She wasn't surprised to see her father sitting at the end of his long oak table, with aids moving all around him. By the looks of it he was currently chatting with Tails on a video hologram. She moved closer so that she could hear what they were talking about.

"Well Sir, it looks like they were inspecting some of Robotnik's old equipment. They took a few measurements and had a brief argument over the integrity of the discarded material. My guess is they're looking to build or help Robotnik design something," Tails Informed the King

"That's not a lot to go on. Stay on them; see if you can get any more information. Also when they're gone go take a close look at the equipment they were looking at." The King replied

With a "Yes Sir" Tails faded out, leaving Sally in direct eye contact with her father.

Looking surprised he said "What are you doing here Sally"?

"Dad, I would like something to do, I want to help."

"Out of the question. I would very much appreciate if you returned home."

Frustrated Sally raised her voice, "I am no longer your little princess Dad, I can take care of myself!"

"No you're not, but you're still my daughter and I wont lose you again".

"Hasn't it ever occurred to you that I lost you too, that I ran the kingdom while you were gone, that I helped save you, and that I have done things as equally as brave and dangerous as Sonic. I have grown up a lot, and all I want to do is help. From day one you have taught me to do everything I can for the people, but I cant if you won't let me. I am not asking for you to let me run into Robotropolis, I just want to be here helping you or planning missions. Ever since Elias disappeared you have had me on a short leash. I know you don't want to lose me again, and I don't want to lose you again either but I had to live 8 years with out you, and in that time I became a much stronger person."

Sally tried to hide her teary eyes while catching her breath. The thought of the 8 years she had spent without her father was not something she liked to remember. She had also mentioned Elias, another painful subject for her, and most likely for her father as well. She had a feeling that he wouldn't like his name being mentioned. After moments, her father still seemed as if she hadn't said anything to him at all. His expression remained cold and unchanged, which meant that she had either surprised him, or that nothing she said even affected him.

The King leaned back in his chair and began "I suppose that you are entitled to help if that is what you want to do. However, all of your work will be confined to the city, I wont take any more risks than are necessary. Do you understand?"

Sally nodded in reply.

He shifted uneasily in his chair, changed expressions and his tone "I am sorry Sally, I never meant cause you harm, I was just trying to hard to protect you and treat you like the little girl you once were."

Feeling relieved and triumphant she turned to leave.

"Sally, there is something else you should know."

Sally turned back to see a now slightly more saddened look on her fathers face.

"Your older brother Elias is not missing or dead. When he turned 16, two years ago, he moved far away to start his life in a world without war. For that I can hardly blame him, but it pains me none the less to know that my son chose another home."

Sally wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation. She could hardly remember her older brother, but knowing that he was alive and likely happy helped lift her spirits.

"Haven't you tried to contact him and tell him that everything is better now?"

"I would, if I had the faintest idea of where he is. Even then there is no guarantee he would return. When he left, he knew that he was renouncing his right to the thrown."

"Thrown or not, he is my brother."

"And my Son" he retorted loudly. "I want him back as much as you do, and don't think that I haven't spent time looking for him. Just promise you wont go looking for him or spend all of your time trying to find him."

That was a hard promise for Sally to make having just found out that her only sibling was alive somewhere, but rather than upset her father she nodded.

Feeling the need to talk with someone else she wished her father a good night and went to give him a hug.

But before she could get there, Nicole appeared.

"Sir, Tails has a new update for you"

"Patch him through immediately"

Tails then appeared in Nicole's place

"Sir, it would appear that the material they were examining was from some of Robotnik's old space shuttles." Tails said as he motioned to the material behind him. "The material is similar in nature to much of the technology that is used in space crafts the Overlanders arrived on. It is likely they are attempting to repair them."

"That's interesting, why would they leave again?"

"We are still working on that. However, we did locate their residence in Robotropolis." Tails reached down to his large wrist watch and tapped on the screen. This brought up a large three-dimensional map of the city. After some zooming in on the northeastern side of the city, the small red dot Tails had placed near the top of one of the towers became apparent.

"Do you think will be able to get a camera or bug in any of those rooms?"

"We are already working on that, but we must move cautiously. We don't want to let Robotnik know we are onto his new friends."

"Agreed. Continue your work, and keep me updated."

Tails again faded out and Nicole reappeared.

"Nicole, could you find me Sonic, I have a feeling Tails could use his help."

"Certainly, I already know where he is," Nicole said as she faded out.

Seeing that the person she wanted to talk to was now most likely on his way here Sally decided to remain in the room, and pulled up a seat next to her father. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand in a reassuring way. She was happy to see that he hadn't taken their conversation poorly. In fact, the opposite seemed to be true.

Sonic knew it was only a matter of time before things began to heat up again. With his luck it only made sense to happen on the same day he got back. Sometime he wondered why he brings back intel that only makes more work for him. Still staring at Nicole with a slightly annoyed look on his face Sonic replied, "tell the King we will be there as soon as we can".

"I have no doubt Sonic," was all Nicole said before she faded away.

Sonic turned back towards the door with Amy only a step behind him.

"So, Sonic, you were saying?"

"Amy, don't you think there are other things we should be talking about right now?"

"Well unless you learned anything new, no. Besides we have a good two minuet walk to talk things over."

Sonic chuckled at Amy's persistence "Lets save the conversation for another time. It will be something you can look forward to."

Sonic proceeded to walk through the door he had propped open earlier. He walked across the wood dining hall floor towards the King. He knew Amy was only a few steps behind him, but he had enough on his mind.


	7. Chapter 7 Blinding

Tails was just wrapping everything up when Nicole appeared in his hollow display.

"Hey Tails, I just thought I would drop by and let you know Sonic is back"

Tails had spent the last two weeks working on a prototype shield generator with Rotor. He hadn't had time for his friends or family, but now that he was finally done, he could go enjoy some down time with his friends.

"That's great Nicole! Do you know where he will be?"

"There is another meeting here in half hour, my guess is he will be back for that."

"Way past Nicole, Thanks."

Nicole smiled and faded away.

Tails only had a few more things to clean up before he could leave to catch the end of their meeting. Tails glanced over at Rotor who was putting the finishing touches on the prototype and then went back to moving the last few boxes of supplies into the storage room.

Tails had always loved the freedom fighters lifestyle, but he was starting to see less and less of the outdoors. It wasn't that he didn't like working with Rotor, in fact working on machines and computers came unnaturally easy to him, but he still missed the old days of roughing it with Sonic and Sally.

After he placed the last box on the shelf Tails walked over behind Rotor, carful not to startle him, and asked "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No Tails, I think we are all done. Go ahead and go home, you have done more than your fair share."

Relieved, Tails thanked him and headed for the door. Now the only issue was getting back to town in time to catch Sonic. The lab had been built into the side of one of the cliffs on the opposite side of the valley. Only a select few knew about it.

To speed things up, Tails chose to use his hover board that he had in the closet next to the door. He had designed it a while back for fun, because weaving in and out of the trees was as adventuresome as his life got most of the time. Hopefully, with Sonic back he could find something more fun to do.

Tails punched in the number 3781 on the numbered door pad to let himself out. The sunlight was blinding, he had to lift his hands to shield his eyes from the bright sunrays that shone through the trees. He almost never left during the day. He arrived early in the morning and left later in the evening, so the sun was a welcomed experience. He put his board on the ground and popped his boots in. It slowly came to life and lifted him off the ground. Finally he adjusted his goggles to fit comfortably over his eyes and set off towards the capital.

With this much light Tails was looking forward to the ride home, he could go faster without fear of running into anything. He glided slowly over a pond looking down through the surface. There must have been hundreds of fish; he had never noticed them before. The cool air felt great as it rustled his hair and across his back through his tails. As he reached the other side of the pond he sped up to give his hover board a work out, promptly dodging the tree on the ponds edge and continuing into the forest. He was moving closer to 60 MPH now, having the most fun he had all week, dodging trees and making steep vertical climbs and descents just for fun.

Tails was now nearing the edge of the city he began to pass some of the houses that lie on the outskirts. To be courteous and avoid injuring anyone he slowed his pace. After passing Amy's house he could see his in the distance, perched on one of the branches of a very large Oak tree. It would be unlikely that his parents would be around, but he thought he would stop by anyway. He always welcomed a chance to see them; after all they had been stuck on another planet for 10 years. Tails decided against an attempt to land his hover board on the porch, and instead landed at the trees base and leaned the board against the tree. Then he loosened his goggles and moved them up to his forehead. Rather than walk up the stairs that spiraled around the tree, he simply glanced up and judged his flight path. After a quick jump his tails pulled him into the air and within seconds he was on his front porch.

Tails tapped softly on the door as he walked in to announce his presence. He peered around, but house seemed empty. Then he heard foot steps from the next floor up moving towards the stairs, followed by his mothers' voice, "Is someone there?"

"Hey Mom!"

"Miles is that you? How are you? I haven't seen you in days!" Rosemary walked down the stairs moving quickly towards her son.

"Mom, it's Tails remember?"

"Awe I am sorry dear of course it is. How is everything?" she said as she moved to embrace him.

Reaching up to match her height Tails gave his mom a big comforting hug.

"Well we finally finished it, so hopefully I'll be at home for the next little while."

"That's great! Does it work…whatever _it_ is?"

"I am not sure, we won't be field testing it until later this month."

"Do you want me to make you some lunch?"

"No. I just came home to see if either Dad or you were here. Speaking of Dad where is he?"

"He is attending the council meeting that was scheduled this morning. I think Sonic is supposed to be there too."

"I know. That's where I am off to next."

"Well then would you like anything for the road?"

"No Mom, I think I am fine. I don't think I'll be gone that long anyway."

Tails walked over to the door and opened it to leave, but his mother called out to him.

"Tails you can't leave with out giving your mother another hug!"

"Oh, I am sorry Mom."

Tails turned to give his mother another hug. Seeing that she was satisfied, he quickly turned and ran at the door, hurtled over the porch railing, and glided down to the ground using his tails. Surprisingly his mother had finally grown used to him doing that. He glanced up to see if she was peering over the railing, but was surprised not to see her. He casually walked back over to his board, strapped his feet back in and repositioned his goggles. He paused a few moments to let his board warm up again and gain some altitude. After he was 5 feet off the ground he sped off towards the center of the city.

After only two minutes of flying he could see the castle looming in the distance. Even with trees obscuring most of it, it was still an impressive structure to look at. While it looked hundreds of years old on the outside, it was constantly renovated on the inside to keep it up with time. Nothing they ever did seemed to detract from its glory, but instead made it feel more like a big home. It had four towers, each one a slightly different height. While nothing resided in them, they added to its grandeur stature. The guard wall was now only a mile away, and Tails could faintly make out the patrols walking back and forth on the top of the wall. Guards were positioned more for expected appearance than anything else. The city was its own fortress within this valley.

When Tails reached the guard gate he landed his board and hopped off. He looked up at the guard in the tower whom responded, "Ah Mr. Powers, long time no see."

Slightly annoyed Tails replied, "I'd prefer Tails, and yes, it has been a while."

"Here to attend the meeting?"

Rather than explain anything Tails just responded, "Yes."

With a nod of his head, the guard signaled for the gate to be opened.

Tails continued through the gate while balancing his board on his shoulder with one arm and removing his goggles with the other. It was then that Tails wrist computer began to vibrate. Setting down his board he tapped the display to reveal an incoming message from Nicole.

Nicole appeared in the Holographic display on his watch and began, "Tails, I am sorry to do this to you today, but we need you to get to the hanger on the double."

Of course on his first day off, Sonic brings back more work for him. At least this time he would get a piece of the action. The hanger meant he was going to get the Tornado, which hopefully would get him out on the front line working with Sonic.

"I don't suppose I have time to say _Hi_ to anyone do I?" Tails said with a sadden face.

"I am afraid not, this is extremely urgent. I'll fill you in on the details once your in the air."

"Alright I should be able to get there in 15 minutes. Tails out." Tails closed the display, slightly annoyed, but he thought to himself _at least the rest of the day may be interesting_. Tails turned and walked back out the front gate. Before the guard could even ask Tails why he was leaving so soon, Tails said "Change of plans, I'll see you later."

The guard nodded to signal he understood and went back to his post. Tails then strapped back on his board and took off in a westerly direction towards the hanger.

It was an even shorter ride than he expected. Most of the time he just walked to the hanger, so he was unaware of how quick he would get there on his board. Tails immediately hopped off of his board and put it in his hanger closet, he could get it later when he returned. After depositing the hover board he raced across the large hanger and climbed into the cockpit of the Tornado to do a preflight systems check. Once all the computers were up and running he got back out and walked over to grab the fuel hose. At times it annoyed him at how big the hanger was for only having one plane. The sheer size of the large tin roofed structure made the Tornado look like a toy. After connecting the hose to the Tornado, Tails flipped the switch on the pump and moved back as the pump squeaked into life. The Tornados fuel gauge had read 68% full, more than enough for 7 hours of flight, but Tail always believed in being prepared.

While the pump continued to fill the remainder of the tank Tails checked the rest of the plane. After checking the aft section of the aircraft Tails was satisfied that the plane was in good condition to fly. He proceeded to return to his locker and begin to put his flight gear on. He swapped out his goggles and grabbed his leather jacket and scarf. Just as he finished wrapping his scarf he heard the fuel pump's auto off click into place. He walked over and disconnected the fuel line. Doing his best not to spill any fuel, he carefully placed the hose back on its' holder mounted on the wall.

Finally he thought _it was go time_. With a surge of adrenalin Tails climbed the ladder to his plane and strapped himself in. The whole plane shook for a few seconds as the engine struggled to start. Once he had the engine up to speed, he pulled back on the throttle and turned off the choke. He hit a button on the planes console to open the hanger doors while simultaneously engaging a small amount of forward thrust. As the plane rolled forwards towards the now rapidly opening doors he could only wonder what exactly he was being sent to do. He knew he had to concentrate on taking of first though. Seeing that the doors were no longer a problem he increased the thrust to 100% and the Tornado lurched forward with surprising agility.

It only took tails a quarter mile of runway to take off. After that it was a simple question of making it through the canopy of tress overhead. This was no easy feat, but the hanger was built near an area with far fewer trees, it made it at the very least possible. Once he was clear of all the trees, Tails took a moment to soak in the surroundings. The forest looked beautiful from up here, and the sun shone even brighter despite the scattered clouds. He hadn't gotten a chance to fly the Tornado for what seemed like months, he was just now realizing how much he missed it. Even though he didn't get to see Sonic, today was starting to shape up to be pretty good. Feeling increasingly familiar with the controls, Tails preformed a series of barrel rolls for fun.

Having enjoyed himself long enough, Tails sent Nicole a message alerting her that he was in the air. It didn't take long for her to respond "Excellent work TailsI I am relaying you the coordinates of the locations we need observed. We have reason to believe that there are in fact more Overlanders now living in Robotropolis. Avoid detection at all costs, but keep a sharp eye out for any new faces, we need to know what they are up to. I know you probably have a lot of questions, but this is all I know right now, so you may as well save them for latter when I know more."

"Am I working alone?"

"No, Bunny Rabot will meet you here." Nicole said as she flashed the coordinates across his screen. "We will be dispatching more troops as soon as we can, but for now its just you two. Good luck and stay safe. Nicole out."

_Well that was a one sided conversation _Tails thought to himself. She must have a lot to do if she can't even let me ask another question. Tails examined his coordinates and circled well out of the air space of Robotropolis. He would be better served approaching the west, the now setting sun would be blinding to any onlookers, hopefully preventing them from spotting him. It would be another thirty minuets before he could be at the rendezvous point. _Hopefully Bunny will already be there_ he thought to himself, _and hopefully she has more answers. _


	8. Chapter 8 Once Upon a Time

With Amy still only a few steps behind him Sonic pushed open the last set of doors to the Kings chambers. He sat, as he usually did, at the end of the long oak table in his high backed chair. Sally was sitting there next to him, their hand joined while resting on the table. Sonic figured that Sally's conversation with her father must have gone remarkably well, it was rare that he ever saw them embrace.

Sonic did his best to silently approach the table so as not to disturb Sally and her father. However, the same could not be said for Amy, whom immediately felt the need to comment on Sally's dress.

"Sally your dress is amazing, I am sure you got tons of compliments."

Looking momentarily stunned, she pulled her hand away from her father to turn and face Amy.

"Well actually now that you mention it, no one has said anything," glancing immediately over at Sonic.

Sonic swallowed hard as he moved over to the table. Hoping that the king would agree to the more pressing matters at hand, Sonic offered a change of topics.

"Sir, I understand you requested my presence?"

"Ah yes I did, Sonic. We have much to discuss. Obviously you know that the overlanders have returned, however what you have not been yet made aware of is the fact they may be trying to repair their space shuttles. Tails found them rummaging through parts to Roboticks old space crafts less than an hour ago."

"Sir, why would they leave again?"

"That's precisely what I am wondering, and what I want you to find out?" It's been far to long since they disappeared for them to suddenly reappear only to leave again. That's why I need you to leave first thing in the morning to meet up with Tails and Bunny Rabot."

Sally now standing chimed in "Dad! You can't send Sonic back out, he just got back this morning!"

"Sally, this is nonnegotiable, we need Sonic. I know I am asking a lot of him, but I also know he is capable of what I am asking."

"Dad, we both saw how you reacted when you looked at those photos. I think you owe us an explanation. It's obvious you knew one of them. Your one of the few people that ever had contact with the last overlanders. I understand their return is significant, but elaboration on the matter would be appreciated."

Sonic was surprised at how much pressure Sally was putting on her father all of the sudden. _Weren't they just hold holding hands_, he thought. Rather than create a dispute between Sally and her father, Sonic decided that showing his approval of the Kings decision would alleviate any of Sally's worries.

"Sir, Sally, both of you, I am fine with this. It's what I do. Sally I will be fine, Tails needs my help. We need to figure out what's going on before something bad happens."

"Sonic I don't want you running out here until we know what we are up against, you could get hurt! I could never live with myself after that."

Amy was quick to chime in "Don't worry I'll be there to keep my Sonic safe."

Sally immediately shot Amy a glance that said "stop talking… now!"

Realizing that she may have crossed the line, Amy sat down across from Sally on the other side of the King to bide her time.

"Sally, you know I can't just leave Tails out there to do my job, something could happen to him as well, and beside the whole reason I am leaving is to figure out what we are up against, not go up against it… what ever it is."

"Dad, I won't let you send Sonic! Not without telling him what you know first."

"What makes you think I know anything?"

"Simmons does," Sally said

The King seemed to freeze up and looked now as if he was unsure of how to answer. He barley muttered, "How do you know his name?"

"You said it under your breath at dinner, almost everyone heard you. Now that we all know that you know something, will you please share it with us?"

The King chuckled, "I taught you well Sally, you win. But mind you its no short story, so you may want to sit back down."

Sally looked down, surprised to find herself standing. Clearly she let her emotions get the better of her. Sonic was just surprised that the King gave in so easy. _He must be getting soft in his old age,_ Sonic thought.

"Well, while you guys share stories, I might go pack my things, you can fill me in later."

Sally stood back before Sonic could even take a step. "No way are you leaving! If you want to go, your're going to have to go through me, and the only way I am letting you leave here is if you listen to what my father has to say."

Surprised by her sheer emotion, Sonic backed up into his seat with out a word. Once he sat down Sally slowly sat back down, keeping her eyes fixed on him the entire time. Luckily in didn't look like she was angry, but rather too attached to let go, which occurred to him may, in fact, be worse. Pushing his luck Sonic said, "Any chance we could get the abridged version? This hedgehog doesn't like to wait around."

As the last words rolled off his tongue he glanced at Sally to see how she took it. Surprisingly her expression hadn't changed. It looked as if she were too deep in thought, perhaps she hadn't even heard him.

Again chuckling the King replied, "While I admire your courage and determination, Sonic, I am afraid that this story is best told in its entirety."

Leaning back in his chair, Sonic did the best to look at least half interested in what the King was about to say, but he couldn't help but think about Tails and Bunny. They needed his help, but he was sitting here listening to thirty year old stories.

"When I was just a boy…" The king began.

_OH NO! _Sonic thought to himself.

"My father told me of his struggles to work with the overlanders. Our civilization was nearing its most prosperous age, and the Acorn family was at the height of its power. However, the only thing that prevented us from extending our rule over a greater area was the overlanders. My father pleaded with them. We wanted to co-exist peacefully, without interrupting eachothers lives. However, the overlanders had other plans. They called us abominations, and screamed for our cleansing in their god's name. What was truly ironic was that this mentality they exhibited was what led them down the path to their own destruction. We learned later that these were the last of the overlanders. The only city left on all of Mobias that was safe for them to live in was what is now Robotropolis. However, if my memory serves me correctly they used to call it Baton Rouge. A war between themselves wreaked such havoc upon the planet it made nearly all areas uninhabitable by some sickness. Their own self righteousness caused them to attack their own brothers, and when the war was done only a few overlanders were left. For thousands of years they lived in their city, preserving their society, but unable to move out into the world because of the poisons left behind from the war."

"Wait, wait, wait hold up a sec" Sonic interrupted "You're saying the overlanders are not just hundreds, but thousands of years old. How is that possible?"

"I am sorry Sonic I don't know. But what I do know is that of the few conversations we had with willing overlanders, we were able to determine that their civilization had been around for close 20,000 years before ours. An individual overlander can only live up to 100 years, if he was lucky. That meant they had gone through hundreds of generations. Working to convince a group of people that has had thousands of years to form beliefs was no easy task. In the end, my fathers' worst fear became true, open war broke out between the Acorn kingdom and the last remaining overlanders. Their technology was so far beyond ours at the time, that our initial losses in the war were staggering. We retreated within the confines of this forest and hoped that they would stay away, but their nature persisted, and they continued to launch waves of attacks. It was only when we retreated to this varying valley that we were able to fend them off. Unfortunately, my father was fatally wounded in the assault and he died later that week. I swore from that moment on to end the dispute no matter the cost or the method used. Looking back, it would seem as if I was overwhelmed with the same spite and mindless furry that drove them. Only being the age of 25, I was still young and inexperienced at ruling, but I knew my strengths. I decided that the burden of our kingdom was mine to deal with, so I chose to take matters into my own hands. I walked out onto the battlefield myself, carrying our family banner. To my surprise I was not shot, but rather escorted into a tent several miles away. The overlanders sat me down in front of their General William T. Simmons, the man you saw in the photo. Seeing that he was not going to speak first, I introduced my self and inquired about a resolution to our indifferences. He proceeded to laughingly mock me. Enraged I stood up and challenged him to duel by swords. He only continued to laugh harder, but when he finally caught his breath he said that he accepted my challenge. Once we both agreed on the terms of the duel I returned to my people."

"So didn't you fight him?" Amy asked slightly confused

"Yes, but the fight didn't occur that day. We arranged for the duel to occur in the same spot I had met with him. He assured me upon my return that only a few men would be with him, and I was welcomed to bring some of mine if so chose. It seems despite his mockery, that the duel was a well respected form of dispute management in his culture as well."

"So what were the terms to your duel Dad, and how did you know that he would respect them?"

"I was never sure if he would respect the terms, but it would be a disgrace to back down once I had initiated such an act. We agreed that the loser would move to some other part of the world, and then leave the others in peace."

"But I thought you said they couldn't live any where else." Sally replied

"I did, and they couldn't and perhaps still can't. However, they assured me that if they lost they would hold up their end of the agreement."

"So that's why they went into space then," Sonic added.

"Yes, I am getting to that. On the day of the duel we both showed up to the appointed location. Both of us had brought 10 troops to witness the fight and ensure that no breaches were made. Simmons was experienced with swords, but clearly underestimated my mastery of the art. Needless to say I had him on the ground in a matter of minutes. Having delt him a deep gash across his torso, he begged me to end his life rather than let him live with the dishonor. I told him that I would never kill a being who could no longer defend himself. Once it was clear that I had won, my troops and I turned to leave. As we left we could see his men carrying him back to the city. I never knew if he died. But from that day forward we never saw another overlander."

"So they were true to their word," Amy added.

"Surprisingly, yes! Despite their ill-tempered nature, they had respect for agreements."

"So what about the part were they go into space?" Asked Sonic.

"Of course, I almost forgot. As I said, we never saw them again. But what we did see was approximately thirty crafts take off into space. When we ventured to investigate, we discovered that no one was left behind, the entire city was empty."

"How long was it between when you won and when you saw them leave?" Sally asked.

"Less than a year surprisingly enough. We determined that they had most likely been planning to leave the planet for hundreds of years, although none of the overlanders ever spoke of it. It just so happened that my duel fit in with the time that they were ready to leave."

Sonic, feeling the need to point out something obvious asked "So if they landed three ships the other 27 are where exactly?"

"That's what I am afraid of. If all of the humans have returned, it is unlikely that they will acknowledge our agreement, especially if they discover they have the upper hand with Robotnik's technology. We have enough trouble with just two overlanders, imagine thousands more. That's why I need Sonic to help Tails figure out how many there are and where the rest of those ships are."

"You're not getting any complains from me Sir, Ill be ready to leave as soon as I can get my things packed," Sonic said as he got up to leave.

"Wait just a second Sonic Hedgehog, you're not leaving until my father promises me something."

Everyone including Amy now turned to Sally surprised to here her demand a promise from her father. However, it wasn't her father that looked the most worried, but rather Sonic and Amy. After looking directly at Sonic, Sally turned and stared into her father's eyes and said "your going to promise me that if this problem becomes too big for us to deal with we will all leave before any one gets hurt. I will not loose any more people in my life for the sake of winning a war that cannot be won."

Both Sonic and Amy showed signs of relief; clearly they had other thoughts as to what Sally's promise may entail. The King didn't even flinch. It was almost as if he was expecting it from her. Keeping his eyes locked on her, he replied, "Sally, for the first time all night I agree with you 100%. This war has already cost me enough in my lifetime. I am not willing to loose everything to gain nothing. You have my word that if this looks bad it will be our turn to leave. There is no risk worth taking that involves losing you again."


	9. Chapter 9 Rendezvous

In Tails experience rendezvous were always tricky, especially with at a location out in the open such as the one he had been given. The person who arrived first had to remain hidden and wait until the other arrived, making the second persons job of finding he first slightly harder. The GPS on the Tornado only read 20 aeronautical miles until he reached his destination. Flying at his current speed that meant less than three minuets. _So the area should be visible by sight by now,_ he thought. Glancing up over the dashboard in his cockpit he could see a long strait stretch of road left over from the overlanders. Obviously Nicole had chosen the area because it would be easy to land the Tornado, but she may not have realized there is nowhere to hide it once I land. _It will be a sitting duck out here in these open fields._

Tails had already learned his lesson about landing on these roads many times before. For starters they were hundreds of years old, which meant they were uneven and often had large holes that could tear a landing gear right off the plane. Luckly Robotnick had unknowingly done them a favor when he removed all of the abandoned vehicles 4 years back. He must have needed the metal for more bots, otherwise such a task would have been a waste of his time.

As Tail approached the road he thought it would be a better idea to fly over and find the most reasonable section of road to land on, thus avoiding any unnecessary hazards as well as springing any traps that may be waiting for him. Passing over the first half mile of road Tails was satisfied with the condition and confident that no one would be waiting for him once he landed. He circled around and lined up the plane with road. The landing went surprising smooth, with only a few minor bums. Once he touched down, Tails immediately cut the engine to reduce noise, the air breaks would be sufficient to slow him down over the next quarter mile. As the speed of the craft was nearing a jogging pace Tails veered off the road and into the high grass that lined the roads on either side. The high grass was better than no cover at all for the plane.

Once the plane was at a complete standstill Tails unbuckled himself and hopped out, _First things first _he thought, _get the gear unpacked_. Tails went over to the storage compartments and unlatched them. The Tornado was kept stock with basic survival gear and scouting equipment. Tails grabbed his pack with a tent, blanket, and preserved foods and leaned them against the rear landing gear. Next he walked around to the other side of the plane to get the rest of the equipment. Inside the medium sized plastic case there was a camera with a long ranged lens and several wireless listening and video devices that could be left unattended indefinitely. He proceeded to place this next to his pack as well. After re-locking both of the compartments back up it occurred to him that he kept a large tarp for disguising the plane underneath his seat in the cockpit. The color wouldn't be a perfect match, but it would mask the bright red to any one observing this area from above. Tails climbed back up the ladder, leaning into the cockpit once he reached the top rung to reach under his seat. Careful not loose his balance while he pulled the tarp out from under his seat, Tails heaved the tarp onto the ground. As he made his way down the ladder he heard the grass rustle behind him. _Good,_ he thought_, Bunny can give me a hand with all of the gear._

With out even turning around Tails called out "I knew you would beat me here Bunny."

Bunny's Southern accent quickly followed in response "Well then I guess you know me too well Tails. How are you doing? I haven't seen you in forever."

"Working on my day off, but things could be worse. You want to give me hand with this tarp?"

With Bunnies assistance, they made short work of spreading the dark green and brown tarp over the plane. During the night it would be nearly invisible, and it may pass off as a large boulder during the day. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best he was going to get on this short of notice.

Seeing that Bunny already had her small pack on Tails said, "Just let me grab my pack and we can get going."

Tails walked over to the back of the plane and grabbed his pack and the case. He slung the pack over his shoulder and then slipped his other arm through the remaining strap. Noticing that Tails was struggling slightly, Bunny chimed in, "Let me take that for you sugah," as she reached down with her mechanical arm and took the plastic case from Tails."

"Thanks Bunny, I owe you."

"Aww Shucks, it ain't nothing, I can carry things all day with this arm."

Stepping back out onto the open road Tails gathered his surroundings. Taking a look at the sun, he assumed they only had another two hours of light. Tails reached around to the side of pack and pulled a compass out of the side pocket. Glancing at it and then back to the map he had pulled up on his computer he pointed in a southern direction and said, "We are headed just over that hill in the distance. On the other side of the hill should be the river that separates the plains from Robotropolis, once we cross it we should start setting up the gear."

"Did Nicole tell you that we are looking for Overlanders?"

"Yes, and judging by the look on your face you find that as hard to believe as I do"

"Its just, well I have never seen one besides Snively or Robotnik. I herd they all disappeared a long time ago."

"That's what I thought too. My guess is that this is just one of Robotnik's new toys."

Glancing down at his watch Tails decided that enough time had passed in idle conversation.

"We better get moving if we want to get there before it gets dark, we have got at least an hours worth of walking to do."

With that, they both moved forward and crossed the road into the grass on the other side. Tails was used to long walks, and he imagined that it wouldn't even phase Bunny with her robotic legs. Not surprisingly very little conversation passed between them on their way there. It wasn't until they both stood at the rivers edge did Bunny say "Are there any bridges near by?" Close to an hour had passed and Tails was still in a daze from walking so much. Realizing that Bunny was talking to him, he snapped out of it.

"Not according to the map. I don't think swimming is such a good idea either, we know what Robotnik dumps in the water. Can you fly us across?"

"Sure thing."

While Bunny would be the last to admit that having a partially robotic body had its advantages, she coped with it very well. Being part machine meant you could get upgrades. Tails spent much of his time in the lab designing new parts for Bunny, so he knew that the thrusters that he and Rotor had installed in her legs were more than capable of flying them and the gear across the mile wide river. Bunny walked over behind him and put her arms carefully under his, making sure she had a firm grip on him. With a short jump she flew into the air. The quick take off caused a considerable amount of pain as Bunny's hands dug into his sides. Once they had reached a cruising speed the pain subsided and he could see that they were nearly to the other side. To avoid hurting him further Bunny was carful on the landing, gradually reducing her speed until she reached the ground.

"Thanks Bunny." Tails said as he massaged his side.

Seeing his discomfort Bunny said, "I hope that didn't hurt you to much, I don't usually do that for people."

"No, I am fine, and besides you saved us hours of finding another way around."

Still looking slightly concerned Bunny made the first movements towards the city. They had landed in what looked to once be someone's back yard. The house was in extreme disrepair leaning very far to one side. All the windows had been broken, and trees and other small bushes now grew out of them in an attempt find sunlight. Tails didn't like the out skirts of the city, the remnants of the overlanders gave him the creeps. All along the river there were other similar looking houses, all equally empty and omniscient. After walking around the house they arrived at a road that followed the bends in the river. Tails took out the map again and then glanced up and down each direction of the road.

"We need to move east along this road, but we should probably stay out of sight. Nicole was pretty specific on us not being seen."

"Any Ideas on where we are going?" Bunny asked as they started moving forward again.

"Yeah, from the looks of the coordinates Nicole gave me we are going strait to the center of the warehouse district."

"Oh, well that's not so bad, at least we will be less likely to run into any trouble down there."

"Lets hope so, I didn't come prepared to get my hands dirty."

Despite his size Tails was a surprisingly good fighter. Much of what he learned came from Knuckles the Guardian, and to an extent Sonic. However, rather than rely on his strength, Tails preferred to rely on his wits and technology. He was better known for out smarting his opponent than dealing them a crushing blow in one-on-one combat.

Together he and Bunny continued along the road, keeping off to the side and walking behind the abandoned houses when ever possible. The smell of sulfur and other metals met his nose as the buildings rose up in the distance. The smell only got worse, as they moved closer to the city, and as far as he was concerned unhealthy. Even the wind seemed afraid to show its presence or provide any relief to the stagnant air. He did his best to ignore the pungent smell and focus on his current task, but he couldn't help but wonder how Sonic dealt with it every time he went into the city.

Gradually they made there way into slightly more industrious surroundings, and now instead of walking amongst houses, they were darting in and out the ally ways formed by all of the warehouses and scrap piles. Dr. Robotnick had preserved much of the original grid layout, making the city easy to navigate. Tails could remember one of his first jobs as a freedom fighter. He was supposed to help Sally construct a map of the city. Even at the age of 10, the task seemed elementary to him, assigning numbers to streets based on their direction. Now Tails had digitized much of the original work he did on the map, making it easier to update as the cities layout changed. While he had not gone as far to label every building in the city, he knew this section well. It the past two years he had been there plenty of times to steal parts from Dr. Robotnicks warehouses.

The warehouses were extraordinarily large, which meant that finding the parts you needed could take hours. Some of them just contained old projects or machinery, and others were filled with junk piles. Not every part was fortunate enough to make it into a warehouse though; many were just thrown in a pile next to the corresponding warehouse. In an attempt to conserve the materials he had Dr. Robotnick did his best to reuse old equipment. Every once in a while a large transportation drone would appear and pick up a large heap of scrap parts and take it to a recycling facility closer to the center of the city. The drones posed no threat, seeing as they were fully automated and did not have any detection abilities, but he and Bunny still did their best to stay out of sight when they were around.

With the light fading, Tails stopped in the long shadow made by one of the warehouses. He reached into his backpack for his map again and proceeded to check on their current location.

Keeping his voice near a whisper Tails said "We should start setting up some surveillance in two blocks. Nicole indicated that this area was the most likely location that we might see any of the new overlanders."

Keeping his map out Tails continued to walk down the ally glancing back and forth between what was in front of him and his location on the map, now monitoring their progress with every step he took. Just as he was about to unknowingly step out into another street Bunny grabbed him with her robotic arm, stopping him in place.

Startled Tails turned to see Bunny's eyes locked onto something on the opposite side of the next street. The only thing she seemed to be able to mutter was "Oh my stars."


	10. Chapter 10 Knights Armor

"Then we are all in agreement," Sonic said, "I am going to run home and grab my things."

"Sonic, you are not expected there until tomorrow morning," the King replied. "I expect you to go home and get a good night's rest, it is likely that you will need it. You can wake up early tomorrow and leave."

"Sir, I don't want to leave Tails out there by himself any longer."

"Tails can take care of himself you know that better than anybody. Consider my request as an order. Get some sleep!"

Sonic didn't like being told what to do, especially when it went against every fiber of his being. Luckily for him most of the time his orders aligned perfectly with what he wanted to do. This time just happened to be an exception. Rather than create problems for himself, he just gritted his teeth and replied with a, "Yes Sir!"

"Good, I expect to here from you as soon as you meet up with Tails tomorrow morning. You are dismissed."

Without saying anything else, he turned for the door. With the entire night swirling around in his mind, he could honestly say he was confused and angry all at the same time. It was funny how those two things usually coincided for him. Sonic placed his hand on the door handle to leave, but was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Sally standing right behind him, she had apparently been following him since he left the table, he had just been too deep in thought to notice. She was looking right into his eyes with a look of mixed emotions, unsure of which would be the most meaningful to display.

Finally she broke what seemed like an eternity of silence and said, "Thank you," and moved to embrace him. She put her hands in his and gave him a small kiss on the forehead. Sonic wasn't sure what she was thanking him for, but he did manage to get out a quiet "Your welcome?"

Without explaining herself further, Sally slowly drew her hand away from his as she turned around. Sonic did his best to savor every moment of their togetherness, but the moment her fingertips slipped through his and she began moving away from him he couldn't help but be over come by a feeling of loss.

Sally was now moving towards a door on the adjacent wall. Sonic could have kicked him self later for just standing there and watching her leave. The only thing that made him feel remotely better was that the fact that the King hadn't seen any of it and the rather amusing look on Amy's face. He had a feeling it was mostly the later though, seeing as if it were possible for her jaw to be on the floor it probably would have been.

Realizing that he needed to get home, Sonic snapped out of his daze and turned around to grab the door handle. As he moved to open the door he could faintly here the King say "Amy, I have another assignment for you as well."

Once he made his way across the threshold, he continued down the long hallway, which was filled with suits of knights' armor and paintings of past Kings. He had never walked down it alone before. Each step he took echoed among the walls with defining silence, he was alone again.

All of the lights had been shut off in the dining hall, the only source of light was managed to make its way through the windows from the lap post in the garden outside. The bars on the windows created long shadows on the oak floor that seemed to bend in every direction as he moved by them. Each shadow served as a marker for his progress as he walked somberly across the hall. When he finally reached the other side he pushed open the doors and started for the entrance to the building.

The guard that was stationed at his post in front of the main door gave Sonic an odd look as he walked past him. At least he recognized him enough to open the door for him. Sonic mad his way outside and down the steps. There were eights steps, he counted each one as he planted his foot on them. When he reached the bottom a voice from behind him called out "Would you like some company for you walk home?"

Sonic was sure that sounded like Sally. Sure enough as he turned around Sally stood there at the top of the steps, now dressed in her blue vest. Sonic's night seemed to be a rollercoaster, and as much as he enjoyed them, he wanted this one to stop.

"Sally!" He said, with an amount of excitement that even surprised him. "Of course, I'll take all the company I can get, Robotropolis doesn't have to many friendly faces."

She walked down the stairs until she was right next to him. Looking down at her boots and then back up towards the path she said, "Shall we?" motioning towards the path.

"So how did you know to find me here?" Sonic said.

"You always leave through the main entrance," She replied "I just wasn't sure if I would be able to catch you after I changed out of my dress.

Feeling guilty about the whole dress thing Sonic thought it might be a good idea to compliment her now, even if we was a little late. "Sally, You looked amazing tonight."

With a smile on her face and small chuckle she replied "Thanks." Looking down at his suit she continued "You didn't look so bad yourself."

"How did things go with your father?" Sonic asked

"Honestly, better than expected."

"C'mon Sal, you don't give yourself enough credit."

Changing the tone of her voice now, Sally said softly "Sonic, my brother is still alive."

Sonic wasn't sure how to respond, but he had a feeling she wasn't entirely how to deal with that information her self, so he said nothing.

"My father has known for all these years, and he decides to tell me tonight that Elias is still alive. I am glad he told me, but why would he keep something like that from me?"

"Sal, you know he was just trying to protect you. You have had more than enough to worry about over the past couple of years."

"Sonic, this is my brother we are talking about. But I suppose perhaps my father was right in not telling me. If he can't find him, I don't know how I would."

"So he is missing?"

"No. He left my father when he turned sixteen to find a new place to live. If he hadn't don't that though, he could have been captured with my father and far worse things could have happened to him."

"When this is all over Sal, I'll help you find him, I promise"

"Thanks Sonic, it would mean a lot to me."

Clearly having had enough of the their current conversation topic, Sally decided to ask "How did your conversation with Amy go?"

Sonic was hoping to avoid that question, seeing as didn't get to explain everything to her.

"Well, I started to explain things to her, but Nicole interrupted us."

"I see." Sally said with a slightly mocking look on her face. It relieved Sonic that she was only pretending to be serious. "Well the next chance you get you should probably finish that conversation." she added.

"Yes ma'am." Sonic added back in an equally sarcastically serious voice.

Sally giggled at his response, but to his surprised stopped walking. Confused he turned around.

Seeing that he was confused Sally said, "This is where you live isn't it?" motioning to his house that was now no more than fifty feet away.

Feeling rather silly with his lack of attention he quietly replied, "Yes."

He was surprised at how fast they had gotten to his house, even at a walking pace. Having someone to pass the time with made the tip go by even quicker than when he had run home.

"Well then, I guess this is good night."

"Not so fast Sonic Hedgehog. I didn't walk all the way out here just to say good night."

He was sure that Sally had meant to say everything the way she did just to see the look he was now displaying on his face. Luckily she didn't expect him to say anything because she continued, "I am here to make sure you don't run off in the night with out getting some sleep. I know you well enough to know that if I hadn't walked you home you would already be gone."

Sonic had to give her credit; she was right, but lucky. If he hadn't taken his grand old time walking through the castle, he would be gone now, despite the Kings order. Tails needed his help, and the sooner the better; Sonic didn't need orders to know that. Seeing that he didn't have a choice in the matter Sonic continued towards his house, with Sally following closely behind.

Sonic carefully opened his front door, making sure not to make any loud noises that may wake his parents. After Sally followed him in he closed the door just as quietly as he had opened it and proceeded to make his way up the stairs to his room. Once he was in his room Sonic walked over to his alarm clock and set it. Sally just stood there watching him, waiting for him to make any move that wasn't related to him going to bed.

After changing his clothes and brushing his teeth, Sonic plopped himself down on his bed. He was still very tired, so falling asleep wouldn't be a problem. He curled up on the far side of his bed, leaving space for Sally if she ever decided that was tired.

Seeing what he had done Sally said softly, "I don't plan on falling asleep Sonic, I don't want you mysteriously disappearing in the night."

Rather than argue Sonic reached over to turn off the light on his nightstand. Now the only source of light was coming from his open door, he had left the hall light on. He could here Sally's foot steps as she moved across the room towards the chair in the corner of the room. He knew she would probably sit there all night, but rather than check to see if she was watching, he let sleep overcome him for the second time that day.


	11. Chapter 11 His City

Tails turned back following Bunny's eyes. Immediately he saw what she saw, two older overlanders standing over some rubble piles with what looked like clipboards. Unable to even speak Tails just slowly backed up into the shadows. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nicole was defiantly right, there were more overlanders and they looked nothing like Snively or Robotnik.

Without saying anything Tails did his best to signal Bunny to circle around the other side of the building. With a nod that she understood, she slowly backed up until the overlanders were out of sight and then turned around. Tails did the same. Once they were confident they were well out of ear shot Tails said, "We need to move fast if we want to get pictures of them before they leave." Motioning to the other side of the building again, Tails continued "I need you to lift me onto the roof of the building over there."

Tails was now continuously checking over his shoulder, he was worried that more overlanders may show up at any time. Doing their best to stay out sight, he and Bunny slowly made their way around the other side of the building. When they arrived, Tails popped open the case and assembled the camera. It was nothing extremely sophisticated, but it would more than get the job done. Most of the parts he used to build the camera were taken from the hover drones that Robotnik used in attempts to spy on them. When Tails was sure the camera was working he called out to Bunny, "Alright lets do this."

Seeing that Tails was ready Bunny grabbed him and balanced him on her shoulders. Using her extendable legs she hoisted him onto the roof. Once he had carefully climbed on the roof he signaled to Bunny that he was fine and she lowered herself back down to her normal height.

Tails proceeded to climb towards the peak of the roof so that he could get a clear shot of the overlanders. Tails was doing his best to avoid the deteriorating metal shards, but had a feeling that he wasn't going to get off the roof without getting cut. With every rusted bolt he passed, he couldn't help but feel the need for a gigantic tetanus shot.

Once he reached the peak of the roof he rested the lens of the camera on the center beam to keep the camera as still as possible. Once he had the camera positioned correctly Tails looked through the viewfinder and centered his targets. One of them had his back to him and the others face was obscured. It was apparent that he was going to have to be patient and wait for the right time. The rust layer of the tin roof felt like sand paper on his legs every time he moved them. Tails was doing his best to keep his head on the other side of the peak and out of sight, but that required him to constantly readjust him self as his targets moved about. Finally the overlander closest to him reached down to grab a piece of scrap metal revealing the face of the other. Tails was able to snap two or three clear shots of his face.

Getting a decent shot of the other took even more time. With the light disappearing fast, Tails knew he didn't have much more time to get a clean image. Luckily he got his break when they began to argue. He could see one of them throw his hands in the air and say in a rather harsh tone "All of this is junk! How can we use any of it?"

The other was quick to respond, "Yes, these parts have had their fair share of use, but with just a few modifications they will be suitable replacements."

"Suitable! They have rust almost all the way through. Why don't we just get the doctor to make us some new pieces, its not like he doesn't have the ability?"

"We owe him enough as it is. He has graciously accepted us into his city. He has already told us that he doesn't have the time fabricate any parts four our project, but we are free to have what ever we need to fix them our selves."

"Pfft his city! This was our city, that little rat stayed behind to build an empire and conquer a world of wild animals. That guy has clearly lost it with all these years here by him self. Lord only knows how that boy Colin stayed sane after living with him all this time."

"Yes, I would agree that his sanity is questionable, but we don't have a choice. Fixing these parts wont be that hard, the rust can easily be removed and nearly all of the integrity restored. If you would quit complaining we could be done with this a lot faster, just keep checking of the parts you find."

While the overlander spent his time pacing back and forth, Tails was able to grab two clear shots of his face as well. Getting identifiable pictures would help them in the future, just in case they became more of a threat. Tails wasn't quite sure how many had returned, but figured that they should start counting as soon as possible.

Satisfied that he had gotten everything he needed Tails carefully picked up the camera and backed slowly down the roof. Going up had been easy, but down was going to be a different story. Gravity could easily overcome him if he slipped, dragging him over endless amounts of rusted shards of metal and eventually off the two-story roof all together. He suppressed the thought as he continued to carefully plant each foot, checking his hold on the roof before placing any weight on it. Thankfully he was wearing his gloves as well, other wise his hands would likely be bleeding from the constant scrapping. When he reached the roof's edge he called out as softly as he could for Bunny.

Bunny was still waiting down bellow, crouched in a shadow behind a junk pile. Tails was happy to see her raise herself up to get him. With one hand grasping the camera Tails used his other to reach out and grab a hold of Bunny's. She helped him back onto her shoulder and she slowly lowered herself to the ground. When she reached the bottom, Tails hopped off. He quickly removed his now rust colored gloves and began to dust himself off, doing his best to remove the rust from his fur.

Looking slightly amused Bunny asked, "Did you get what you need?"

Still rubbing his legs Tails responded, "Yes, I got two clean shots of each. I am going to start uploading them as soon as I get all this rust off of me, it is starting to itch."

When Tails was reasonably sure he wouldn't spend the next day scratching himself due to all of the rust, he plugged the camera into the computer on his wrist. With a few clicks he started downloading the images.

Now he was faced with a new dilemma. _Should I send the images to Nicole now, or wait until we are at a safe distance_. It was risky to send anything this far into the city because if someone was paying attention, they could not only intercept what he was sending but also determine their exact location. Going with his gut he decided that sending the images was a necessary risk.

It took Nicole only seconds to respond, however, she didn't respond through the Hologram as she usually did but rather a standard typed message that read, "Get to a safe location, the King is going to want to talk to you."

Tails turned to show Bunny the message, allowing her to glance down at his wrist top computer.

"What do you think the King knows?" Bunny asked.

"Beats me." Tails responded. "He probably just wants to give us new orders."

"I wonder if the King will recognize any of them. You know he is one of the few people left that ever spoke with any of the overlanders before they left."

Tails mulled the idea over in his mind, but the chances of the King knowing either of the two men in the picture didn't make sense statistically speaking. However, given the fact that things in Robotropolis never seemed to follow any sort of logic it wouldn't surprise him in the least if the King did in fact recognize one or even both of them.

"We should get back to the river, we can ask him more once we are there." Tails said.

"Sure thing sugah." Bunny responded

Retracing their steps back to the river took close to a half an hour. Once they were well out of site Tails sat down on a log near the rivers edge so that he could send a message back to Nicole. Bunny sat down next to him so she could hear what the King had to say as well. With just a few more key presses, the message was off. Now all Tails had to do was wait patiently for the computer on his wrist to vibrate. It didn't take long. Nicole appeared in his hollow screen and said, "The King has left dinner and is now prepared to talk. I have already showed him and the council the images so they all know how real the threat is. I am patching you through to the King now."

Nicole faded out and his screen went black for a few moments until the King appeared. He was sitting is his chair at the end of his oak table in the King's chambers. The look on his face implied that he was extremely flustered by something. Rather than keep him waiting any longer Tails began, "Sir. I know you have seen the images, what should we do now?"

"For starters can you tell me what they were doing at that scrap pile? "

"Well Sir, it looks like they were inspecting some of Robotnik's old equipment. They took a few measurements and had a brief argument over the integrity of the discarded material. My guess is they're looking to build or help Robotnik design something."

"That's not a lot to go on. Stay on them; see if you can get any more information. Also when their gone go take a close look at the equipment they were looking at." the King replied

Nicole then promptly cut the feed with out giving Tails a chance to acknowledge with a, "Yes, Sir."

No doubt the King was busy in light of recent events, but Tails had a lot of questions on his mind that needed answering. He contemplated sending another message to Nicole, but rather than worry about what may be irrelevant, he turned off the display on his computer so it would no longer attract any unwanted attention. A glance over at Bunny seemed to indicate she agreed too was also slightly irritated that they were unable to ask any questions.

"So much for asking the King anything." Bunny added.

"He must be busy with something," Tails Replied. "C'mon we should get back to that scrap pile so we can get a closer look at what they needed, it may tell us a lot about why they are here."

"Its getting dark shouldn't we wait till morning?" Bunny asked.

"No, now is the perfect time to move around undetected."

With a sigh, Bunny began moving back in the direction of the scrap pile. Tails followed closely behind her. Even though it was now nearly as dark as it would get, the glow of the lights produced by the city was still enough to let them see. Feeling slightly more rushed, Tails and Bunny kept their pace up to a soft jog. The lack of light was now working to their advantages.

What was previously a 30-minute walk now would most likely be a 15 minute jog with out worry of being seen.

Tails was feeling short on breath as he approached the last street they needed to cross. He stopped before stepping out into the intersection. He leaned out just far enough past the scrap pile to look down the street. He didn't want to risk being seen by an overlander.. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Tails was able to make out two tall figures entering a building over a mile down the road.

He wasn't sure, but Tails was willing to bet that they were the overlanders. Tails pulled out his map again and marked the building on his map. It was one of the tallest on that side of the city, which meant it was probably were they were staying.

Tails looked back to see if Bunny had seen anything, but she was currently checking the other side of the street. He would have to tell her about this later, they needed to keep moving.

As they approached all of the discarded material they were both extra vigilant, but it had appeared that anyone who was there had now left. Tails didn't like what he was seeing. All of theses, parts were for spacecrafts. That meant that they were trying to fix their ships. _But for what, _Tails wondered, _they just got here. Why would they want to leave again?_

Bunny did her best to rummage through the junk and remove things that looked important, holding them over her head and asking, "How about this one?"

Most of the time the parts could have belonged to anything, but occasionally she would show pull out a part that only confirmed what he already knew.

"Bunny I have seen enough. Most of these pieces are to some of Robotniks old spacecrafts. It looks like they are trying to fix theirs."

"Well that doesn't make any sense. Why would they want to fix them if they just got back?"

"I don't know, but I am hoping that Nicole will."

Tails moved back into the shadows to send Nicole another message. Having seen that Tails was about ready to talk to the King again, Bunny leaned closer to listen in on the conversation.

Again the reply cam almost instantaneously, "Do you have more information?"

"Yes." Tails responded but before he could even tell her what he found Nicole responded, "Excellent, I am patching you through to the King again."

Just as it did before, the screen went dark for a moment before the King appeared. Tails waited a moment to make sure the King was aware of him. He figured it may be hard to see him with only source of light being the glow from his wrist computer. Seeing a subtle nod from the King, Tails began, "Sir, it would appear that the material they were examining was from some of Robotnik's old space shuttles." Tails said as he motioned to the parts behind him. "The material is similar in nature to much of the technology that is used in space crafts the overlanders arrived on. It is likely they are attempting to repair them."

"That's interesting, why would they leave again"

"We are still working on that. However, we did locate their residence in Robotropolis." Tails reached down to his large wrist watch and tapped on the screen. This brought up a large three-dimensional map of the city. After some zooming in on the northeastern side of the city, the small red dot Tails had placed near the top of one of the towers became apparent.

"Do you think we will be able to get a camera or bug in any of those rooms?"

"We are already working on that, but we must move cautiously, we don't want to let Robotnik know we are onto his new friends."

"Agreed. Continue your work, and keep me updated. I'll be sending you some reinforcements, you should have them in the morning."

With that the screen went blank again, but luckily this time Nicole reappeared.

"Nicole, do you have any more information?" Tails asked

"I am sorry Tails, but I do not. We will be sending Sonic your way in the morning, he should be able to help you get inside that building. We need to get a sense of what's going on and just how many of them there are. It's getting late, you should get back to the river and make camp for the night, there is nothing more you can do now."

Satisfied with her answer Tails nodded and closed his hollow display. When he looked up, he was met with a now confused Bunny.

"When exactly did we learn where they were living?"

"Oh, I am sorry I never mentioned it to you." Pointing to the tower that loomed in the distance Tails continued, "I saw two overlanders enter that building when we were checking the streets. We know from previous missions that its one of the few buildings that has any creature comforts, so I assumed that's were they're staying."

"And if it isn't?" Bunny asked.

"Well then I am not sure, but I have a hunch I am right."


	12. Chapter 12 Waking

Authors Notes: I do not feel as if this chapter is up to par with the rest of the story. Pease do not judge the remainder by the contents of this chapter; I plan on modifying it in the future. I just needed to get to the next chapters rather than worry about this one any longer. Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions for improvements.

Sonic awoke to the sound of his alarm clock. He reached over and picked it up off his nightstand so he could shut it off. Holding it close to his face so that his eyes could adjust he read the time: 5:00AM. As he sat up in his bed, Sonic set the alarm clock back down and glanced over to the corner to where he expected to find Sally sitting. Seeing that she wasn't there, he assumed that she had left, that was, until he felt his bed shift subtly. Looking behind him he was surprised to see Sally curled up on the other side of his bed in the space he had left for her, still sleeping and somehow unaffected by his alarm. _So much for staying up all night Sal_, he thought to himself.

Sonic moved over to his closet opened the door and retrieved his backpack that he still had packed from his last trip. He wanted to wake up Sally to say goodbye, but it was now her that needed the sleep. She looked too much at peace to be disturbed, and given recent events she should probably enjoy all the down time she could get. He knew that he was going to get some flak later for not saying goodbye. Before he left Sonic carefully pulled the sheets up over Sally, as a slightly more subtle way of saying goodbye. He quietly stepped out of his room, whispering into the quiet, "Goodbye Sally," as he carefully shut the door behind him.

The only thing he had left to do was grab some food from the kitchen. He tiptoed down the stairs, making as little noise as possible. His parents still didn't know he was leaving again, but rather than get in another argument about him helping, he thought it would be best if he just left. Reaching in to one of the top cupboards in the kitchen, Sonic removed some of the food he stored there for his long trips. Satisfied that he had enough supplies to last him, he headed for the door.

Once he was outside he removed Sally and his parents from his mind, they would be fine, and so would he. _Time to speed things up_, he thought. Feeling refreshed from his sleep Sonic sped off at a quick pace towards the valley's eastern edge. At his speed it only took him five minutes to reach the edge. Without breaking his stride he bound up the face of the cliff in front of him and into the great forest. With at least two hours of running ahead of him, Sonic let his mind drift as he pressed on towards Tails.

Tails could hardly sleep, so rather than pretend to rest he got up and walked over to the rivers edge. It seemed as if a life of adventure returned a little to quickly for his liking. The hard ground was nowhere near as comfortable as his bed at home, or the hammock in the lab for that matter. A glance back at Bunny showed that she had no problem sleeping what so ever. She lay there, back on the ground, softly snoring away. Tails leaned down and picked up a flat piece of shale at the rivers edge. After examining it in his had for a few moments, he flung it at the surface of the water with precision. He watched as it skipped of out into deeper water until it was over come by the current.

In and around all the other rivers Tails had seen in his life there had been an abundance of wild life and vegetation. However, this one had none. As he glanced around their campsite the only sign of life were the weeds that grew in patches. The toxins in the river were most likely responsible; just one more thing that could be added to the list of things Dr. Robotnik was responsible for.

With the years Tails had spent with Sonic, they had won so many battles, but only after nearly being defeated almost every time. When your nerves are tested that many times you simply loose the natural response of fear. In Tails case it had been replaced with a deep loathing of Dr. Robotnik, he wanted more than anything to see a gravestone with his name on it. Robotnick was single handily responsible for why Tails was not allowed a normal life he so desperately wanted. Tails spent nearly every waking hour of his life since he was 10 trying to rid the world of Robotnik, and that was something he could never get back.

While Tails was running through his Robotnik rant in his head, he casually paced back and forth kicking a medium sized stone up and down the riverbank. It wasn't long before the stone went farther than he intended and landed in the river with a loud **kirplunk**, The sound shattered all of his own thoughts and out of the corner of his eye he saw Bunny spring to life at a speed that he thought only Sonic was capable. He hadn't meant to wake her up, in fact he was hardly aware that he was ever kicking a stone at all, but the dull pain in his big toe proved otherwise.

Looking around Bunny, spotted Tails next to the river. Having had a surge of adrenaline rush through her body, she was ready to take on anybody or anything. However, a few more glances around the campsite seemed to indicate that there was no one. Bunny decided to head over to a now slightly ashamed looking Tails.

"Bunny, I am sorry I didn't mean to wake you up." Tails said as motioned to the ripples in the water.

"You gone and nearly gave a girl a heart attack."

"I was just kicking a stone around while I was thinking…I couldn't sleep."

"It's okay Tails, so long as no ones hurt. Why couldn't you sleep, is everything al'right?"

"The ground is a little bit harder than I am used too. I guess I am not used to this whole camping thing anymore."

Bunny watched with a slightly concerned look on her face as Tails headed back towards his pack. Looking towards the City, Bunny could see the sun peeking over the tallest tower. She looked down at her watch, which read 6:55 AM, and turned off the alarm she had set for 7:00, she wouldn't be needing it anymore.

Tails knew Sonic was probably on his way by now, so the next most logical course of action was for him to start planning a way to get into the building. He already knew there were three layers of security, a laser field, motion detectors and retinal scanners for the doors. Getting in wouldn't be easy, but if they could make it up to the higher levels in the building he had a feeling security would be less constricting. The trick would be getting by all three security devices without being caught or getting them all to fail long enough to get in undetected.

Tails knew that the later would be easier, but it would also likely tip off Robotnik that they are snooping around. Tunneling or cutting their way into the building would take weeks of planning and more accurate schematics. Using the vents as they had done in the past was, now, no longer an option because they too had been outfitted with motion detectors and laser grids that would incinerate even the smallest particles. The best way to get in was to make it look like there was an accident. If it looked real and serious enough Robotnik might over look the temporary laps in security.

Now all he had to do was figure out how to cut power to the whole building and remove any back up power for at least two minuets. If they could get inside the elevator shaft in the building, they could get to every floor of the building. Tails walked up to his pack and pulled out his map and began pulling up building layouts on his computer. He did his best to keep track of the power structure of the city, but Robotnik also did his best to constantly upgrade. That meant that even if he turned off power to the building, it would just be rerouted from somewhere else. However Tails was confident with a little bit of planning he could use that very security feature against him.

Sally awoke to a gentle tap on Sonic's door followed by "Sonic, breakfast is ready." She immediately sat up right looking around the room for any sign of Sonic, but he was gone already. Sally had dozens of questions in mind, the most prominent being, _why didn't he wake me up before he left? What time is it? How am I going to explain any of this to Sonic parents?_ Sally walked over to Sonic's nightstand and picked up his alarm clock, it was 7:30; he had been gone for at least two hours now. _It wasn't supposed to be the girl that gets caught in the guy's bedroom, especially alone,_ she thought. As if things couldn't get worse she was probably going to have to tell them Sonic won't be home for a couple of days as well as the whole overland situation. Rather than think about it any more Sally thought it would best to face the music and get everything over with. Sally opened Sonic's bedroom door and walked down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she could see Bernadette fussing about in the Kitchen. _This is going to be awkward, _she thought as she stepped into the kitchen.

It took a moment for Bernadette to notice her, "Oh hi there, Sally," she said with a confused look "I didn't hear you come in."

"That's because I have been here all night." Sally replied. Before Bernadette could reply Sally thought it would be best to continue seeing that her expression had gone from confused to worried. "I needed to make sure Sonic didn't leave without getting some sleep. He would have left to go help Tails last night if I hadn't stopped him, and brought him back here. Unfortunately I fell asleep sometime around four in the morning, and when I woke up he was gone."

"I see. Where did he run off to this time?" Bernadette asked feeling only slightly reassured by Sally.

"Last night we found out that there are in fact more overlanders. He left to help Tails determine how many there are and what they are up to. I am sorry he never got a chance to tell you any of that him self, and that I am stuck here explaining everything to you."

"Oh it's okay." Bernadette replied cheerfully, "I am sure you will have a conversation with him when he gets back."

"Yes, believe me I will," Sally replied in seemingly serious tone.

"Would you like some breakfast? Or if you like, your more than welcome to go back to sleep, it sounds like you have had a long night."

Relieved that her conversation went much better than she anticipated Sally felt more sleep was in order. "If you don't mind, I think I may go back to sleep for a while, I have had a lot on my mind lately and with a little more sleep. I think it will help me feel a little less stressed."

"Not at all dear, go right ahead and go back to sleep in Sonic's room, I'll keep things quiet for you. When you wake up I'll have some lunch ready and we can talk more."

"That would be great, and thank you so much for being so understanding Mrs. Hedgehog, I can't imagine how unusual all this must seem."

"I have learned that unusual is a fact when it comes to my son's life."

Sally chuckled, she knew more than anybody that that was true.

Seeing that Bernadette had gone back to her work in the kitchen Sally headed back up stairs, still silently cursing Sonic. She couldn't help but think about all the ways that conversation could have gone wrong.

Well aware that having only had three hours of sleep wasn't helping put her mind at ease, Sally set herself back down on Sonic's bed. As she laid her head down on his pillow she couldn't help but notice the fain smell of chili, which while slightly disturbing was not going to prevent her from getting some more sleep.


	13. Chapter 13 Misery

Chapter 13 –Misery--

"Snively!" echoed through the dark and dreary halls, "Get in here!"

"Y-yes, Sir, right away" Snively sputtered into his terminal. He turned and ran for Robotik's office, which was in the next room. Upon entering he could see a large figure standing near the window with his hands folded behind his back.

"Sir, you wanted me?"

"Yes, yes I did. Do you know why?" Robotnik said as he turned around with a sinister grin on his face.

"N-no Sir."

Robotnik moved closer to Snively, his red eyes now locked onto his

"P-please don't hurt me again," Snively yelped.

Poking Snively square in the nose Robtnik asked, "When were you going to tell me those pesky freedom fighters cornered you again."

Snively gulped deeply, he hadn't planned on telling him at all, but he knew the best way out of these situations was to lie, beg, then lie some more and if he could, feed Robotniks ego.

"Funny you should mention it, I-I was just making the report for the incident this afternoon."

Pressing down harder now Robotnik continued "And what did they get from you this time…hmm?"

"Ahh well you see it was Amy, and she had a big hammer…"

"Out with it" Robotnik bellowed

"The access codes for the main frame" Snively squealed "Please, please don't hurt me"

"What!!!" now picking up Snively by the collar of his shirt. "Why would you give them that?" he asked as he stared menacingly into Snively's eyes.

"I-It was the only thing she wanted, S-Sir. If I didn't tell her she was going to hit me."

"Then next time let her hit you" Robotnik said as he threw Snively backwards, "Perhaps she will knock some sense into you."

Robotnik turned around to look out the window again as Snively got up of the floor.

"And how much information are they able to get with those passwords?"

"E-Everything."

"Surely you don't mean everything Snively! Do they know about the return of the other humans or Project SMASH?"

"No, Sir. That information is stored on your personal computer only."

"Then don't stay everything!"

"S-sorry, Sir."

Snively thought it would be a good time to start boosting the doctors ego, "Well, Sir, luckily you implemented that new rotating password key, its unlikely they even get a chance to read any of the information before the password changes."

That particular idea was actually Snively's, but he was more than willing to give it up to avoid punishment. He knew that Robotnik would latch on to as if it were his own in a matter of seconds.

"Hmm, yes I suppose that was a good idea wasn't it? But that still doesn't explain why there is a blue hedgehog running around the city!" He yelled as he pointed towards the monitor, which did in fact currently show Sonic running along the river in the old section of the city. Sonic was always up to something, but he was often to sneaky to be sure as to what. The only thing knew for sure was that it was bad if the hedgehog took time out his day to mock them in one of his traditional childish ways. Seeing as he hadn't done that, he posed no real threat in Snivley's mind.

"Should I launch SWAT Bots to intercept him, Sir."

"No, we will continue our deceptive strategy of doing nothing."

Snively couldn't help mutter under his breath "Nothing may as well be the name of every plan you have ever made."

"What was that Snively?" He said razing an eyebrow as he turned around to face him.

"I was just saying how doing nothing is giving you a chance to perfect your next plan, Sir."

"Yes, yes it is. I almost rather like doing nothing, it gives me time to think. With all this time off I can spend my time concentrating on Project SMASH, it is nearly in its final stages. You will see Snively, even you will have no choice but to respect me when this all over.

"B-but I already do respect you, Sir"

"Of course you do, of course you do." Now get back to work!"

"Y-yes, Sir." Snively said as he walked back into the other room. _Pfft_ "_Project SMASH"_, _how much more primitive could he be? _He didn't even know what the project was, but Robotnik had been going on about it for weeks. However Snively was sure that what ever this plan was, it would fail, just like all the others he had hyped up. He couldn't help but remember the last "project", he boasted about for days on end, which may have lasted a record 2 hours before getting blown up by Sonic and his friends, but of courses the issue wasn't the project, the robot, or the technology, it was the man behind it. Snively could see Robotnik's genius through and through, but then there was the issue of his common sense and power hungry nature, which in the end always allowed the freedom fighters to get the better of him. Snively wished he could point out all of his flaws without facing severe pain, but the doctor's ego was to big to allow for anything but his own ideas.

Now it was back to babysitting the new comers. It was Snively's job to see to it that they got everything they needed. _Why did they bother coming back? On the brighter side at least they respect me._ Snively checked his terminal for any immanent problems and then headed for the elevator. Robotnik had them all staying in the building adjacent to his head quarters, he didn't want them wondering around disturbing his 'vacation time'.

Snively hit the call button and the elevator doors opened immediately. It only serviced him and Robotnik, so there was hardly a need to ever wait. However, the ride down from the 100th floor often took a while. Snively continued to contemplate why they couldn't just give the returnees the parts they needed. Making them would only take a day at the most, but apparently that would be too much to ask for. _No instead I have to show them were all the scrap piles are and tell them were they can go to fix the parts they find. This is mad, they don't even want to be here, and Robotnik doesn't even have a reason for keeping them here…does he?_ That thought had never entered his mind until now. _No that can't be possible, why would he want a bunch of whiny humans lounging about, eventually they are going to want jobs or worse yet rights, and I don't even have those. _

Snively walked out of the elevator, which had arrived on the first floor, and out the entrance of the building. The streets were pathetically dirty as usual, with rats running about in the gutters and heaps of scrap in every direction. _And I call this place home. I bet even the newcomers have better living conditions than this._ He continued down the street, his destination was only a block away. It was sad that the sunlight stung him, and not just eyes, but his face as well. He spent so much time indoors that even the thought of going out side during the day made him tingle. He shielded his eyes from further exposure as he continued down the street. He could see General Simmons standing outside the building, waiting for him.

He had met General Simmons a week and a half ago, a few days after they had landed. Simmons seemed impressed with him for some reason, but Snively just couldn't figure out why. The man had an interesting nature, positive and humorous, essentially the opposite of Robotnik. Snively hadn't had time to meet with him since their introduction, seeing as he had been too busy helping unload their shuttles and creating additional housing for them.

"Ah, Colin my boy, there you are. We have been waiting for you for quite some time." Simmons yelled out as he saw Snively approach.

He had used his real name, for a second Snively's eyes glazed over as he returned to another time in his mind. The last person who had called him by his real name was his mother as she boarded one of the last ships to leave the planet. Snively had chosen to secretly stay behind with Robotnik. He couldn't help but reminisce over the sound of his mothers voice in his head.

"Colin?" Simmons asked to see if he was paying attention.

"Sorry, Sir. Dr. Robotnik kept me longer than expected you know how he is."

"No I don't, but I can imagine. He sure seems like he has quite a few screws loose if you know what I mean," Simmons said as he made a circular motion with his finger while pointing towards his head.

Snively burst out laughing in agreement in his high pitched cackle. "Oh believe me Sir, hehe, it is truly remarkable the parts that man is missing, but yet he remains a genius… somehow."

"Colin."

"Yes, Sir."

"Stop calling me, Sir."

"Yes Si… I mean surely"

"Don't call me Surely either." Simmons said, "Bill or Simmons will do."

Snively couldn't believe this man, he was falling in love with him, in a strictly brotherly type of way. _He has a sense of humor, he respects me, and he is even letting me call him by his first name rather than some stupid name only a super villain makes for himself._

"Bill," Snively said with renewed energy, "How can I help you?"

"Well," Simmons said as he smacked the clip board he had been holding behind his back into Snively's chest with a surprising amount force, "We need all these parts and the doctor says you can show us where we can find some broken ones to fix up."

Recoiling heave from having the General's clipboard thrown into his chest, Snively did his best not to gasp or cough, but none the less he struggled for the first few words of his response. "Y-yes I suppose I can do that, let me see what you have on the list."

Snively took a second to glance at the list, and indeed all the parts they wanted were for repairing space shuttles.

"Hmm yes, we have all of these, but they are going to be hard to find." As he said this, a new man emerged out of the door behind Simmons.

"Excellent, perfect timing Davis." Simmons began as he slung an arm around the other mans shoulder and pulled him in tight, "This, Colin, is my dear friend and lead pilot Sergeant Davis."

He had not yet met this Davis fellow. He was shrouded with a saddened demeanor, but yet still somehow stood proudly. He did not wear any officer's uniform, but rather what he assumed were normal clothes. Snively pegged him at roughly 50 years of age judging by his graying hair.

Davis did his best to look interested in Snively and managed to put on a small grin. Snively had a feeling that he did not appreciate the whole hearted introduction that Simmons had given him but was doing the best he could.

"It is an honor to meet you Sergeant Davis," Snively said as he reached out his hand offering a handshake to him.

Davis, now out of the grasps of his general was considerably more friendly and graciously excepted Snively's kindness.

"So you need to repair your shuttles I see," Snively began as he started walking in the direction of the warehouses."

"Oh no" Davis said, "Our ships are fine."

"We need them to fix the rest of the shuttles in our fleet so that we can all return safely." Simmons said as he chimed in to finish Davis' sentence.

"Wait there are more of you?"

"Yes, thousands, didn't the doctor tell you?

"No… he failed to mention it. Where is the rest of your fleet then?"

"They are all stranded around our new home. Or at least we thought it was our new home, but the atmosphere is still not quite right for human living. To fix that we began Teraforming the planet, but during the process, a rouge pile of space debris hit and damaged many of our ships."

"So you are here to get parts for them?" Snively asked.

"Yes. We were forced to come back here in hopes to find parts to fix the remaining ships. The planet will not be done for another 50 years, so we needed to get the ships fixed or face the loss of dozens of ships. The threes ships arrived on were the only ones that were damage free, and as God would have it you are here to help us. We did our best to repair as many ships as we could before we left, and can only hope that the repairs will last until we get back."

_Fascinating so there are thousands more of them,_ Snively thought. _Could mother be one of them? _He would have to ask one of them later.

Trying to show something he was pretty sure was called sympathy Snively responded, "That's awful, I will do all I can to help."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you my boy, but I should remind you time is of the essence, we don't know when one of our ships oxygen scrubbers could stop working or a support could give out, crushing everyone inside."

"So your just going to return to your fleet, fix your ships, and wait for the planet to be done."

"Well that was the plan, but then we came back here and found the two of you. Even though the city leaves something to be desired, it is habitable. We thought we might bring the rest of our fleet back here to wait out the 50 remaining years. Most of us haven't taken a step off of a ship in well over 20 years," Simmons continued.

"Why exactly did you leave in the first place?" Snively asked. He was very young when everyone left, only sixteen as he recalled. He had never paid attention to all the political mumbo jumbo that was thrown around as to why they needed to leave.

Simmons was silent for a moment. "It was our time to leave, the planet was uninhabitable outside of a hundred mile radius of this city, as I am sure you know. We needed to find somewhere new to live, were we could begin a new."

Snively knew that he was of course talking about the radiation. Their ancestors had doomed them all when burnt the world to a crisp with atomic weapons. Somehow, this city and a small piece of the surrounding area had escaped, making it a sanctuary of life. However, what Simmons was most likely unaware of was that Robotnik had solved the radiation issue within the first year of their departure.

They were now nearing the giant warehouses on the outside of the city. Snively began to point out all of the locations they would have to look to find the parts they needed. "The majority of the parts you need are in these three warehouses" Snively said as he pointed systematically to them. Unfortunately there is no map or, for that matter, organization of any kind so you're going to have to get your hands dirty. The remainder of the these parts on the list such as the couplings, thruster modules, and hydraulic cables can be found in any number of scrap piles outside of the three buildings."

"Uhh…do you think you could give us a hand?" Simmons said as he looked at the heaps of junk that lay about, "We are kind of pressed for time."

As much as Snively disliked manual labor, he welcomed the thought of spending more time with the two of them.

"I would…"

However, just as he usually did, Robotnik had to open his mouth and take every happy feeling away from him. "Snively! Get back here…Now!!!" roared over the load speaker on one of the buildings near by. Startled by the sudden break of silence, all three of them stared at the loud speaker as it shook with maddening reverberations.

Snively didn't even know what to say, he was too angry and depressed to produce a response. _Stupid good for nothing fat man and his demands. One day, one day it will be me yelling at you to do my biding._

Snively handed Simmons the card key that would grant him access to any building in the city and turned to leave his new companions so that he could head back towards the headquarters. He was delightfully surprised when he herd from behind him, "Don't take to long my boy, we need all the help we can get!"

Snively turned around for a moment to see Simmons examining the access card. He then did his best to reassure his new friends, "I will be back as quickly as I can, but with Robotnik… well you never know."

"And Colin, feel free to stop by anytime, I would love to hear about what has happened here while we have been gone." Simmons added

"It would be my pleasure to tell you, but for now I must go, the "master" beckons."

Snively turned back towards his destination. He really began to wonder why he never left with them in the first place. His uncle promised him glory, fame, and honor, but all he had received since day one was misery.


	14. Chapter 14 Clockwork

**Authors Notes: This chapter is a bit drawn out and awkward, or at least it is to me. Again, I had to write this chapter to move forward, expect edits in the future. I would greatly appreciate comments on how to improve it.**

The cool wind rushed past Sonic's face and through the quills on his back as he raced along the river. A cool mist from the rapids occasionally caused him to squint. He had crossed the river several miles up stream from Robotropolis where the river was not so wide and easier to cross. _Tails is supposed to be camped on this side, he can't be much farther now._ The long run was just now starting to slow him up, and he was hoping for a small break to catch his breath.

Sonic could now see two figures in the distance. He took his chances and assumed them to be Tails and Bunny. After all how many other people could possibly be waiting from him.

"Sonic! You're here!" Tails shouted as he did his best not to cough with the rising dust cloud.

"Hey little cuz, didn't think I would leave you out here all by yourself did you?"

It had been quite a while since they had seen each other. Tails was always working in the lab, and Sonic was always running around Robotropolis. Sonic had been like an older brother to Tails since the first day Sonic had found him. He was without a doubt his best friend.

Bunny looked on as Sonic and Tails began their secret freedom fighters handshake that had yet to die out. As Sonic was finishing his greeting with Tails, he glanced over at Bunny who stood off to the side and said, "Hey Bunny."

"Hey Sugah Hog" she replied, just as she usually did. Bunny had been saved by Sonic when she was a lot younger as well. If Sonic hadn't shown up when he did, she would have been a 100% roboticised like so many of the others. She owed him his life, but surprisingly he never expected a return favor, just her friendship. Bunny still hoped that one day she could repay the good deed, but Sonic rarely ever needed saving.

"Well Tails, what's the plan?" Sonic asked, as he took off his pack and set it down on the ground.

"I am still working out the smaller details, but I think I know how we can get in undetected. Come over here and I'll show you," Tails said as he pulled up a map on his wrist computer. Sonic walked over and stood next to him to get a better look. Tails had overlaid what looked to be pipes on the map.

"These are the major power lines, generators and relay stations within the city."

"Oh I get it we are going to cut the power, sounds simple enough." Sonic said.

"Settle down there, let him explain, it's a bit more complicated," Bunny said to Sonic.

Bunny had been listening to Tails talk to himself all morning. Every once in a while he would ask her a question, and more often that not she had no idea what he was talking about. Although after a while she had began to get the gist of the fox's plan: cut the power in one area, and over load the supplying generator in another.

"Well we are going to cut the power, but it's a matter of where and when we do it. You see if we just cut the power to the building, a back-up will kick in and it will come right back on in a matter of seconds and if we cut the backup too, then Robotnik will think we are up to something."

"So what do we do, cut the power somewhere else?"

"Yes actually, that's exactly what we are going to do."

"Alright, you have one confused hedgehog."

"Just let me explain the whole thing then you will get it." Tails said as he bent down and picked up stick. He began to draw a basic diagram in the dry dirt and continued, "You see if we cut the power somewhere else then the back up power for that same location has to come from another section of the town, and that starts to put a strain on the system."

"But will that be enough to shut off the power?" Sonic asked.

"No, but if we then also increase the power usage in say one of Robotnik's factories, the power plant for that entire block, for example, will be put under some serious stress. If we are lucky it will simply shut down or overload, it should send the entire area into a blackout until the whole system resets."

"I think I get what you are saying, but how will we know which lines to cut, and which generators feed that section of the city?"

"That's what these are for." Tails said as he motioned to the lines that were overlaid on the map, "If these are still accurate, then cutting the power here, will cause the reserve power to be drawn from the same power generator that feeds the target building."

"Where is there?" Sonic said as he scratched his head trying to orient himself on the map.

"It's the warehouse district, it uses tons of power for all of the buildings in that area. The only hard part is going to be getting it all done at the same time, it's going to have to be like clockwork."

"C'mon Tails you're talking to the fastest thing alive, time is never an issue."

"Sorry Sonic, not even you can move this fast. Its going to take all three of us to do this right. One of us is going to have to cut the power while the other cranks up the power in the factory."

"What about the last person?" asked Sonic

"They are going to have to sneak in through the vents while the power is off. The power isn't going to stay off for long, so it's going to be you going into the building Sonic. Once you're inside you can let Bunny and I in using one of the doors."

"Alright then what are we waiting for, lets get this show on the road," Sonic said as he started moving towards the city.

"Hey Sonic, wait up!" Tails said as he turned to grab plastic case full of surveillance equipment.

All three of them now made their way towards the city in the growing morning light. Just as they had done the day before, they did their best to stay out of sight.

With Sonic leading them, it was only ten minuets before they arrived at the first warehouse. Tails paused as looked around to gather his surroundings while he caught his breath. The only down side to working with Sonic, was that you had to work at his pace, which even at its slowest was still fast for Tails.

"Alright Bunny, the substation that controls the power for this entire area is a half mile down this road," Tails said through a panting voice as motioned over his shoulder. "Pulling the plug on that will kill all the power to every single warehouse and anything else in this area."

Tails reached into the case and produced three tiny in-ear radios for them to wear. "These are all on encrypted channels, but we should only use them when we absolutely need to talk to each other, Robotnik will pick up on an increase of encrypted radio chatter."

Bunny and Sonic both took one of the small devices and placed in their ears.

"Bunny do you know what your looking for?" Tails asked.

"Not a clue darling."

"It will look like a small shed on one of the street corners, give it a good whack and let me know when the lights go out, but don't do anything until I let you know I am ready."

"Sure thing hun," Bunny responded as she set out down the street.

Tails then turned to Sonic, "C'mon I'll show you the best way in."

The sun had risen a considerable amount, even since they left from the river. It was almost never sunny in Robotropolis, the entire area always seemed to be in a perpetual shadow, only adding to the creepiness. Tails had to admit, with this much light it almost looked like a city compared to its normal run down abandoned look.

"So why do you we need to shut down all the power, just to get in the vents?" Sonic asked

Sonic was never one for stealth tactics, carrying on normal level conversations even when in the heart of the enemy city was just something he did. Tails tried to cope with it, but even hearing Sonic breath as loud as he did made him cringe.

"Well if you need to know, it's because there are now laser fields installed in them, and the power is only going to be out for so long."

"Well what happens if the power come back on when I am in there?"

"They are only in a few key places, and besides I am sure you are more than quick enough to get through." Tails responded

Tails stopped when he was next to a large grate cover a ventilation shaft on the side of a building.

"Is this it?" Sonic asked as he gazed upward to the buildings peak.

"Yup, it is" Tails said as he walked over and yanked off the cover, revealing the reddish glow of the laser field inside. "Sonic, these laser field will do a whole lot more than stun you, so don't do anything stupid."

"C'mon Tails, when was the last time this hedgehog did anything stupid?"

Tails choose not to answer that question, but the thought of generating a list for him did cross his mind.

"Ill let you know when it's safe to hop in." Tails said as he turned to walk away.

"Wait, what do I do until you're ready, and what am I supposed to do once I am inside?"

"Once your inside, you can let Bunny and I in through the back door, they open on the inside for anyone. As for what you should do now, just wait.," Tails said as he continued to walk around the corner and out of Sonic's sight.

He had done a fair amount of his own sneaking around, but he usually did that by himself, and certainly wasn't waiting around for other people. He assumed that Tails wanted him to stay out of sight for the remainder of the time, but a faint and unusually high-pitched noise had gotten his attention. He was sure it was coming from the main street in front of the building. Since curiosity had yet to kill him, he had to check it out, but what he found wasn't what he had been expecting.

In the street there were dozens of small overlander children running around, laughing, playing with toys, and making tons of noise. Sonic couldn't believe it, he had never thought he would see more overlanders, let alone any this young. Remaining in the shadows, he couldn't help but continue watch them; they seemed nothing like what he heard in the stories. All of these children must have meant they had continued to thrive even after they left.

"Richie, give it back!"

"Awe little Rachel wants her dolly back"

_Well I guess they are not so different form the stories, _Sonic thought, _they are just more innocent looking._

"The first day we get to play outside and you bully me? Don't you have a whole city to run around and explore?"

"It's on my to do list, besides this is way more fun that playing kick the can with those other brats."

Sonic hadn't even been paying attention to the other children that were now kicking a ball around the street.

"Give it back or I am going to get my Daddy."

"Of course you are, that's what you do every time you little sissy."

Sonic couldn't help but think of how he used to tease Sally when they were younger, although he didn't recall ever making her run to her father as this young overlander was now doing.

It didn't take long for a hard smack across the face to wake him up. Feeling slightly stunned and surprised he looked around only to find the ball the kids had been kick rolling back into the streets. He rubbed the sore spot on his face where the ball had struck him as he slowly backed up, but it wasn't quick enough. Sonic was now in awkward position with one of the kids quickly running over get the ball.

The ball had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and Sonic watched vigilantly as a young female overland came over to pick it. She stopped in her place, when her eyes met his. _Now I definitely don't know what to do, she sees me, but I can't hurt her._ Sonic backed up until he reached the shadows, where he turned and ran as fast as he could down the alley around the bend. When he looked back he could still see her frozen, staring at him. He wasn't sure what she would say to the others, but he needed to avoid confrontation at the moment. _Tails won't be to happy if I mess up his plan, speaking of which where is that two Tailed…_

"Sonic, Bunny, you guys ready" echoed in his head.

"You bet sugah, assuming this here thing is what I am supposed to be hitting."

"Sonic, how about you?"

Still reeling from his unusual experience he struggled to reply "Y-yeah… I am all set," he said as he pressed his finger to his ear.

"Okay Bunny I have got the factory going at 100%, give it a whack."

Sonic heard silence in his ear for what seemed like an eternity. He had near death experiences more times than he could count and not once had he ever felt like he did now. It was something about seeing that child. For the first time he was truly scared of what ever Dr. Robotnik was up to.


	15. Chapter 15 Ripples

**I would like to try something new this chapter, a game if you will. Obviously the goal is to increase reviews, and for any of you that have written FanFics you know where I am coming from. So what's the game you may ask? Well you may notice that I didn't put a chapter title for this chapter, and I wont for subsequent chapters baring the last one. No you won't be choosing the names, but rather seeing if you can guess the one I already have chosen. If you have read all the chapters I have written, you know how I name my chapters.

Look at Knight's Armor. While it doesn't appear in the context you would expect it to, it's their non-the less.

Or look at blinding; it appears twice one at the beginning and once at the end.

In both cases the titles are relevant to the chapter in a more subtle way and appear verbatim in the chapter. The name I choose is often the word(s) that doesn't fit but somehow in my mind sums everything up.

So far in all the future chapters I have written I use a similar naming scheme. Titles will be at most three words, and in most cases are only one word.

So now that you know how I name my chapters, put what you think the name for this chapter will be in your review, and ill post the name with the next chapter. What do you get if you win…? Not really sure, maybe I'll send you cookies ;)

P.S My editor is on vacation, so this may have more mistakes/discrepancies than normal, I am not great at catching my own mistakes, sorry. **

* * *

When Sally awoke, it was only to the sound of her own breath. The sun now poured through the windows in Sonic's bedroom. She turned over to look at Sonic's clock, which now read 12:27 P.M. Now slightly displeased with her self for wasting so much of the day, she got up from Sonic's bed and headed for the door. As she reached for the doorknob, her stomach let out what she was sure was an audible growl. She hadn't eaten in well over twelve hours, and had spent the majority of that time awake. As much as she didn't like to impose, she was now seriously thinking about taking up Mrs. Hedgehog on her offer. Originally she had agreed to have lunch with her, but she had never really planed on staying, she had a lot to do.

Sally made her way down the stairs for the second time that day, but this time without worry. To her surprise she again found Bernadette in the kitchen. When Sally poked her head into the kitchen, Bernadette immediately noticed her.

"Sally your up again. Can I interest you in anything to eat? I have some walnut pancakes left over from this morning." Bernadette said in a warm comforting voice.

Not wanting to impose any more than she felt she already had, Sally accepter her offer. Besides, she had not had walnut pancakes since her mother made them for her when she was a small child.

"That would be great, Mrs. Hedgehog."

"Oh call me Bernadette please, I insist. You will make me feel old other wise." She said as put a plate of warm pancakes on the kitchen table.

Sally made her way over to the table, and immediately the warm smell of the freshly made pancakes made its way into her nose. _Sonic is lucky to have a mom like her,_ she couldn't help but think. Before she could even finish sitting down, Bernadette had sat down next to her, bringing with her a glass of water and maple syrup.

"So tell me more about these overlanders." Bernadette started.

"We just got photos of two of them yesterday, apparently they have returned on some of the shuttles that they left on. The only thing is, we don't know why they are back." Sally said as she cut the cakes into eatable pieces. Bernadette paused, allowing Sally to take a bite before asking her next question. "So that is why you have sent Sonic back to Robotropolis?"

Swallowing the food in her mouth, Sally responded "Yes, I don't want him there any more than you do, but we do need to see if we can figure out what they are up to."

"You really care for him don't you?" Bernadette asked.

Sally hadn't been expecting any questions about her and Sonic, especially not from his mother. The question blind-sided her, but she new she had to respond or look like a fool otherwise.

"Yes… I always have. He is the reason that we got all of you back, the reason that so many of us are still here today, and above all he is my friend." Sally wasn't sure if she had skirted her way around the questions true meaning, or if it would satisfy Mrs. Hedgehog.

The grin on Bernadette's face suggested that sally had not dodged any bullets yet, or if she did there were more on the way.

"Don't worry Sally, I won't ask you anything else, I herd everything I needed to hear. Besides, I know he really cares for you as well, I think he even wrote a letter to Aly about you." Bernadette said as she motioned to the paper next to Sally.

Sally had almost forgotten about Sonic's letter, and even thought it was supposed to be anonymous, she had seen right though it. She also decided that signing it _Truly Blue_ didn't help mask his identity any more than it would have if he had signed his own name.

"Yes, I thought that might have been his, he didn't do the best of job keeping himself anonymous."

"When did you read it? It was only in the paper this morning."

Sally glanced across the table to peek at the date on the top of the paper. She had forgotten that Sonic's letter was not supposed to get run until today, that way he would be home to see it. She felt if she had just walked right into a trap. No one but Nicole knew she was Aly, but she may has well have just told Bernadette. _How could I have made this mistake? This is why I can't talk about these things with people._ _No one knows I am Ally, I have to keep it that way._

"Oh I got a chance to look at it before you sat down, Aly's advice is about the only non depressing piece in the news paper these days. The signature at the end was kind of a dead give away."

Sally didn't think for a minuet that Bernadette would buy it, but to her surprise she responded "I kind of think he wanted you to see it. As forward as he is, I think he has trouble telling you how he really feels."

Sally already knew that, in fact she had written something similar in the article, but rather than discuss it any more and risk blowing her secret identity she decided a change in topic was very necessary.

"These pancakes are wonderful Bernadette, I haven't had any this good since I was just a little girl."

"Oh, well I am very glad you like them. There are more if you like."

Sally glanced down at her now nearly empty plate. The thought of having more delighted her, but she knew she should be leaving. She realized that she had yet to tell either of her parents where she was.

"I am fine thank you. I really should be leaving now anyway."

"I understand, you run along, I am sure you have a lot to do, but feel free to come back anytime, you are always welcome here."

Sally finished the last bite of food on her plate as Mrs. Hedgehog got up from the table. Sally took her plate and glass over to the sink. Before she could even begin to rinse it off Bernadette said "Sally, I'll take care of that, you have more important things to do."

Sally carefully set the dishes down on the counter and thanked Mrs. Hedgehog again, "Tank you so much for your hospitality, you are so kind."

"Of course dear, anything for a friend of Sonics, and not to mention a princess" Bernadette replied with a big smile on her face.

Sally hated getting respect only because she was a princess. Her entire life people thought she was some fragile thing only because she was a princess. In reality she had experienced more pain and endured more hardship than anyone who uttered those words could imagine. Mrs. Hedgehog was only being polite, but it still pained Sally non-the less to hear her say it like that.

When she reached the door she quietly opened and shut it, although she wasn't quiet sure why, there was no reason to be quiet after all. The air outside was fresh, and the rustling of the trees overhead greeted her as she emerged from Sonic's home. Sally could hardly count the hours she had spent out side just listening to the trees; the sound was hypnotizing.

As she walked down the path to the main road she couldn't help but feel the need to talk with someone. She had spent too much time a lone lately. Even with Sonics return, she had barely gotten to see him, let alone talk with him. Almost every ones she was close with was gone barring Antoine. As much as his silly French accent entertained her, he was not the friend she was looking for.

No, she needed someone that understood her like Nicole. It was hard to believe that she considered a computer to be one of her best friends, but Nicole not only listened better, her advice was spot on every time. To add to that Nicole was practically a person to her, she had developed a real life image of herself that she used on the hollow display, and had a personality just like everyone else. If there was something Sally was missing or couldn't see, Nicole always found it. She was without a doubt her most valued friend.

When Sally turned onto the main path she headed towards the pond a half a mile to the east. It was her favorite spot to relax, everything there was always calm and peaceful. To add to that, she knew that if she waited around long enough Nicole would show up. It was were she and Nicole talked the most.

Sally could see the pond just beyond the tree in front of her. However, what she hadn't been expecting to see was Nicole waiting there for her. She was sitting down at the waters edge, starring off in to the middle of the pond.

"I knew you would show up, it was only a matter of time." Nicole called out as she remained seated facing the pond.

Sally casually walked up and sat down next to her.

"How did you know I would be here?"

"Were else would you be when no one has seen you all day."

"My parents aren't worried are they?"

"Your dad is to busy to notice, and I already assured your mother that you were fine."

"Thanks"

"Don't mention it. What's on your mind today?"

"The better question is what's not on my mind." Sally said as laid back and put her back flat on the soft grass. She continued to stare up at the sky while she thought about was really bothering her.

"Why can't things be normal, why can't my life be normal? All I want is for Sonic to stop running around like Robin Hood, for my dad to understand me, and this world to settle down."

"Sally, normal is a relative term, you know that and you can thank Dr. Robotnik for keeping it… well as you would say abnormal."

"I know, but is it that much to hope for?"

"Not at all," Nicole said reassuringly.

Sally continued to stare at the passing clouds, hoping that they would spell out the answers. After a few moments of silenced Nicole asked, "Would you like to work on any letters, it always helps you take you mind off of things?"

Sally hadn't worked on any letters in the past three days, her publisher probably wouldn't like that, not that he could complain. Sally's relation with her publisher was completely anonymous, she didn't want anyone to know it was really her. Somehow she didn't think that anyone would find comfort in a Princess handing out relationship advice.

"Sure, are there any good ones, I haven't looked through them in a while?"

"Surprisingly no, we are starting to run out of people that have questions, but you could always answer one of Amy's, you have a few to chose from."

"I am sure I do," said Sally as responded with a chuckle. Sally had purposefully avoided Amy's letters because of her own personal stake in the matter. Everything she wrote about was asking about her and Sonic. How could she write a letter giving someone else advice about the person she loved.

"You know why I don't want to do that, Nicole. Everything she asks is about Sonic. If I do in fact give her answers without my personal bias in them and it somehow helps her take Sonic away from me, I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

"Well you're in luck I think, because her last letter is a bit different."

"How so?"

"Instead of asking how to win Sonic over, she asked why things haven't worked out."

"How is that any better?"

"You can finally explain to her everything Sonic can't. I know he was trying to tell her the other night in the gardens, but she didn't understand what he was saying. You can finish where he left off."

Sally was starting to get what she was saying. She was so blinded by he own personal opinions; she neglected to see the opportunity. Although it had occurred to her something else needed answering first. She shifted uneasily on the ground, and turned her head towards Nicole to ask, "When were Sonic and Amy in the gardens together?"

"The same night you were with him. I don't know how long she was there, just that when I showed up Sonic was trying to explain things to her."

Sally was now feeling even guiltier about leaving Sonic by himself that night.

"I should have never left him."

"Sally, everything is fine, he did exactly what you asked him to do and you got a chance to work things out with your father."

"Its not that. I could have talked with my dad anytime, but time with Sonic is so rare, I shouldn't have wasted it." Sally replied in a slightly more depressed tone.

"You didn't waste it Sally," Nicole said in a comforting voice, "After you spent the night looking after him, I am sure he knows just how much you care about him."

Sally sat upright again, staring out across the pond. She watched as the wind pushed its way across the surface of the water, leaving behind a trail of ripples as it moved in the swaying grass. When the cool breeze hit her face she closed her eyes and relaxed. The wind seemed to pull all of her worries away with it. Feeling anew Sally asked "So why don't you show me that letter."


	16. Chapter 16 Red Ribbon

I wont post the chapter name for 15 to give people more time. However, I understand this may be a futile attempt at getting more reviews, so if it doesn't work I'll just go back to posting them with the chapter. If you are wondering what I am talking about take a look at the notes at the top of chapter 15.

Again my editor is on vacation, so this may have more mistakes/discrepancies than normal, I am not great at catching my own mistakes, sorry.

* * *

Sonic stood in the alleyway staring down the vent at the omanis red glow with in. It had been at least thirty seconds since Tails had given the go ahead to Bunny. _What is taking so long,_ he thought?

"I think that did it, Tails," Bunny said over her radio, "All of the lights just went out."

Sonic stared patiently at the beams within, expecting them to flicker off at any moment, but they didn't.

"Sonic, stay ready, it may take a few minuets for the system to become over loaded." Tails said.

The anxiety was killing him. To add to that he had to look over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure no one was around. The suspicious lack of SWAT bots had now been replaced with real overlanders. While they posed no threat, he didn't feel the need to give away his presence any more than he already had.

"Sonic, get ready, there are some serious power fluctuations going on in the factory. Any moment now it should go out all together."

Sure enough, the red beams of light cut out as if someone had flipped a switch. Sonic, now more restless than ever and threw himself into the vent headlong.

The layout was simple enough, the central vent he was in connected to several intersecting vents that branched off into other areas of the building. Keeping up his pace, he made his way into the center of the building, and then cut left down one of the adjoining vents towards the back of the building. If he were lucky there would be a duct that would let him drop down. He glanced down at his watch to check how he was doing on time, he had only been in there twenty seconds.

As he approached the end of the vent he could see light emanating from below. When he reached the vent he peered through the grate to check for anyone who might be around. Sonic carefully removed the vent cover and hoped down to the white floor tiled bellow.

When he glanced back up towards the vent he was more than surprised that a red glow now emanated from the vents again. He padded himself, checking for cuts and burns, but it appeared as if they had turned back on while was jumping down. _Talk about a close call_. He glanced down at his watch which now read only 45 seconds. He was going to have to have a talk with Tails about his estimations

Brushing off yet another near death experience he was about to take a step when Tails shouted over the radio through a panting voice, "Sonic, Stop!"

Sonic stood on one foot, with the other half way in-between steps. He wasn't sure why he had been told to stop, but the moment of stillness gave him a chance to look around the room. _What happened here?_ The room was well lit, and filled with aesthetically pleasing accommodations. It looked more like a modern hotel lobby than anything else. There were planter boxes around the edges of the room with lush green plants, a fountain in the center, glass tables, and even strangely comfortable looking furniture. He would have kept looking, but Tails shattered his thoughts as he continued to warn him with a voice that clearly indicated he was running as fast as he could, "Don't move, the power came back on".

"I noticed, don't worry I am fine."

Still panting Tails continued, "I am on my way, I'll find a way to turn the system off so you can get out."

"Relax little bro, I made it. No laser system keeps this hedgehog out."

"Wait, you made it? That's great!"

"Yeah, but I think you going to have to see this to believe it," Sonic said as he walked to the back of the room in search of a door.

"What do you mean?"

"Ill show you. Are you out back yet?" Sonic asked, now looking at the controls that operated the door, he wasn't yet sure how to open it.

"Almost, but we have to wait for Bunny, it may take her a while to catch up."

"Don't worry about me hun," Bunny said as she chimed in, "I'll be fine here. We can catch up later at camp."

Both Sonic and Tails had learned to trust Bunny's judgment as much as their own, so neither of them questioned her or her reasoning.

When Sonic finally realized that the door was motion activated he stepped in front of it hand waved his hands somewhat frantically in the air. It was clearly made for someone a bit taller than he. The red light at the top of the door switched over to the adjacent green light, and the door slid smoothly across the floor, revealing Tails standing anxiously on the out side.

As soon as the door had slid far enough open, Tails rushed in and embraced him, with some tears running down the side of his face.

"I am so glad you are alright" he exclaimed "I didn't think the power would come back on that quickly, I ran over here as fast as I could."

Comforting his friend, Sonic replied, "Its ok Tails, I am fine, everything is fine."

Still slightly unsure of himself Tails backed away from Sonic, now whipping the tears from his cheek. The fact that he had nearly just killed his best friend had more than scared him. Tails had grown accustomed to slightly more gutsy plans when working with Sonic, but he had yet to take charge of one himself. _That will be the last time I doing any of the planning,_ Tails thought, _I couldn't live with the consequences if anything went wrong_.

"C'mon I'll show you something that will cheer you up." Sonic said as he placed his hand on his friends shoulder.

Sonic lead a recovering Tails back into the main room and couldn't help but notice Tails jaw drop when he saw the room.

"This is unbelievable, when did Robotnik become so…"

"Refined?" Sonic added.

"Yeah!"

"I have no idea."

"Looks like we wont have time to find out either" Tails said as he pointed towards the hallway that led into the room.

Sonic could hear footsteps echoing down the chamber. He exchanged glances with Tails, but only for a moment as they both frantically searched for a place to hide. The room was to bare and modern to find any reasonable place to hide. At the last second, Tails grabbed his hand and threw them both behind a couch pressed against the wall. Only seconds later the same two overlanders Tails had seen the day before entered the room, carrying on in conversation.

"You know my daughter claims she saw a cat while she was out in the street playing today?"

"Ha, does she even know what a cat looks like? When was the last time anyone saw one of those?" the other retorted loudly as he swiped his card in the elevator.

"I know. It was probably just a big rat, the city is full of them."

"Oh by the way, I think I found that part we needed, it was that…"

Tails would have loved to hear the rest of their conversation, but the elevator doors had shut. Getting up from behind the couch Tails couldn't help but notice that Sonic seemed to be almost enraged.

"Sonic are you ok?" Tails asked curiously.

"Do I look like a cat?"

The question struck Tails as slightly odd, but he answered non-the less, "No, just a blue hedgehog. Why?"

"No reason."

"Wait. Was it you that his daughter saw?" Tails asked as he started to giggle.

Sonic, now feeling humiliated walked over towards the elevator.

"So how do we get this thing to work for us?"

"We don't, but we can use the elevator shaft." Tails responded as he walked over next to Sonic. He then proceeded to grab the door and force it open.

"See, easy as can be" Tails said

Still feeling quiet skeptical of the foxes plan, Sonic asked "Now what, we climb up 100 floors?"

Ordinarily, Tails would have said yes, but the fact that the overlanders had just gotten in made their job easy. Without warning, Tails jumped through the open door and grabbed the upward bound cables that powered the elevator. Seeing Tails' clever plan, Sonic was quick to follow.

When the cables stopped moving they were about three quarters of the way to the top. A now disappointed Sonic said "Hey, what gives?"

"Sorry Sonic, we are going to have to climb the rest now. Grab my hand."

Sonic reached up and grabbed Tails outward stretched hand firmly around his wrist as Tails did the same with his. Tails knew he could have flown himself up to the top, but he could only carry Sonic for a few seconds at the most. Luckily he only needed to get them to the ladder on the side of the elevator shaft. With a swift jump and a strong spin of his tails, he propelled them both safely to the ladder. All they had to now was climb up to the top.

Once they had reached the top of the elevator, Tails peered in through the vent on top. Satisfied that its occupants were gone, he opened the vent and hopped down. Sonic followed shortly there after. Tails walked over to the elevator control panel in search of the door control buttons, but was distracted by a red ribbon that lay on the floor. Curiously he bent down and picked it up.

"Whats that? Sonic asked.

"Just some ribbon" Tails said as he put it in one of the leather pouches on his belt. Tails often found that even the littlest things could give some big clues. He wasn't sure what he was going to get out of a red ribbon, bu he still felt compelled to take it.

No longer distracted, he found the 'open doors' button and proceeded to press it. As the doors slowly slid open, Tails poked his head out and looked in either direction. He then motioned for Sonic to follow him.

"There," whispered Tails, as he motioned to a terminal at the end of the hall, "lets see if we can get anything out of that."

Sonic couldn't help but notice their surroundings. Not only were they similar to the down stairs lobby, but they also suggested that anyone could emerge from any one of the numbers of doors that lined the hall at any time. This made him slightly uneasy but Tails continued forward seemingly unaware or unafraid of the danger.

_At least the terminal is in room of its own,_ Sonic thought as he moved out of the hallway. He still couldn't help but feel exposed. Tails didn't waste any time, immediately plugging his wrist computer in to the terminal. Although Sonic didn't think he could have gotten far, because just as he did, a voice from behind him shouted with delight "It's the kitty!"

Both he and Tails froze on the spot, although something told Sonic that Tails was smiling. Sonic carefully turned around to make eye contact with overlander, doing his best not to look terrified. The girl was almost his height, and considering that she couldn't be more than ten, it didn't do much to raise his confidence. Feeling the need to make progress on his current situation whether it be positive or negative Sonic blurted out "I am not a kitty."

The child's face went red with fear as she stepped back from Sonic.

"Y-you… can talk?" she said

Sonic thought that seemed like a stupid question, _Of course I can, didn't you just here me?_

Luckily Tails had spun around with an unnaturally big smile on his face and said, "Yes we both can talk, Dr. Kintobor programmed us to. He designed us to be more friendly looking."

Sonic looked over with extreme surprise at Tails. There was no way she was going to buy that, child or not, but yet the girl seemed to relax as he said it.

"Here," Tails said as he motion to the doll the girl was holding, "I think this belongs to your dolly." Tails produced the red ribbon from his pouch and showed it to the girl. Her face lit up with delight.

"Would you like me to tie it back on for you?" Tails asked the young girl.

She nodded with vigor as she willingly handed the doll over to Tails. Tails quickly fastened the ribbon into a neat bow around the doll's neck and handed it back. She hugged the doll with renewed love upon its return to her.

"Now if you don't mind, me and my robot friend have to fix some things, you should run along back your room so you don't get hurt," Tails said gracefully.

After thanking Tails, the girl skipped out of the room and down the hall.

"Wow, that was close!" Sonic exclaimed, "Where did you think up that whole story?"

"Younger children are more apt to believe anything. I just figured that cute looking robots would be believable. Not to mention, it gave me a chance to plant a bug."

"Huh? How?"

"While you were busy being a kitty, I attached a wireless bug to the ribbon that I tied on her doll. With luck we will be able to hear something valuable."

Sonic stood stunned for a few moments at his friends brilliance, watching him as he began to hack the terminal again. "Tails can you hurry this up, I don't' want…"

"Anyone else to find you, Hedghog?" A much older and more familiar voice said from behind him.


	17. Chapter 17 Up and Down

Snively had never gotten a chance to go back and help Simmons. No, instead he was working on 'improving security'. He couldn't help but wonder why Robotnik all of the sudden found these useless upgrades necessary, the current system had yet to fail. It was almost as if Robotnik didn't want him spending time with Simmons. Since their arrival Snively had been ordered to do everything that involved not interacting with any of the returnees. _What is it that you don't want me to know?_ Snively thought to himself as he scrolled through the security logs on the screen. _Is it about my mother? Is she still alive?_

That very question had been bothering him nonstop since yesterday when he found out that there were even more survivors. _Why would he keep that from me though? I left her once, why would I want to go back? No, there is something more. Perhaps he doesn't want to get persuaded by their respect and kinder nature. No, that doesn't make sense either, he doesn't care about losing me… does he?_

Snively would have continued thinking on the matter, but he was interrupted by Robotik yet again. "Oh, Snively," sounded from his terminal.

"Yes Sir?" Snively responded in the most uninterested voice he could muster.

"Have you checked your terminal in the last minute?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Then would you mind telling me why power is out in half the city?" he thundered over the speaker, causing Snively to back away from his desk.

"Right away, Sir."

With just a few keystrokes Snively pulled up a map of the cities power grid, of which half was blinking in distress. It didn't take long for him to identify the culprit as the substation in sector C7, the warehouse district.

"Sir, it would appear that one of the substations has been knocked out in sector C7, probably the freedom fighters stealing parts again." Snively said as convincingly as he could. He was used to lying, but in this case he was telling a half truth, so it was even easier. _Yes the reason for the power outage was most likely Sonic and his friends, but why bother cutting the power during the day, or even at all._ The buildings were never locked and had no security; they practically gave away their old parts. The truth was Snively simply didn't care what they were up to, so long as he didn't have to clean up after them.

"Of course! Why can't those pesky rodents get their own parts! Snively, I want the power back up and running now!"

Snively had already been working on that, and with just two more keystrokes he reset the entire power grid to its default settings, the power would be back on in under ten seconds.

"Consider it done Sir."

After dealing with the doctor's latest crisis, Snively went back to his work. However, it could not have been more than five seconds when he heard a new voice in his terminal, "Colin, are you there? This is Sergeant Davis."

This perked Snively's attention; he hadn't gotten a chance to speak to anyone but his nagging henchman since yesterday. He eagerly hit the talk button and responded, "Yes Sergant Davis, I am here. How can I help?"

"Well its kind of dark in here. What happened to the power?"

"A substation malfunctioned, it should be back on momentarily"

After a brief pause Davis' voice returned "Well yes, it would seem you are right, everything seems back to normal now, I am sorry for bothering you."

Snively couldn't help but over hear someone yelling in the background and felt the need to inquire, "Is everything alright? It sounds like someone is dying."

"Oh, that would be Simmons, he stubbed his toe when the lights went out and he also claims to have lost his clipboard."

Snively could hear Simmons cursing in the background "I did not lose it, it was right here when the lights went out. Are you talking to Colin? Tell that boy to get down here."

"Colin, would you be available to help us? General Simmons would like your help." Davis asked

"I'll have to check, the doctor has been rather finicky lately." Snively replied.

Snively could again hear Simmons in the background "Forget it! I am sick and tired of putting up with that quack doctor friend of his."

"Colin, it would appear as if we will now be returning, I think Simmons is going to want to have a word with Dr. Kintobor."

"I'll let him know you're coming." Snively said as he ended the transmission

After a few more minutes of work Snively pushed himself away from his desk and got up to walk over to Robotnik's office. Just as he suspected he was sitting at his computer when he walked in.

"What are you doing here Snively, did I call for you?" Robotnik said as he herd Snively approach

"No Sir."

"Then what are you doing here?" Robonik bellowed as he continued to stare at his computer screen, clearly uninterested at Snively's presence.

"General Simmons would like a word with you Sir."

"Hmm. What does he want?"

"I don't know sir, but he didn't sound happy"

As Robotnik was about to respond, the sound of the elevator arriving could be herd, out of which Simmons and Davis emerged. Snively had not yet seen Robotnik interact with the new comers, but nothing could have prepared him for sudden change in demeanor he was bout to witness.

Simmons, clearly unhappy and limping slightly on his right leg, stormed over to Robotnik, starting in on his rant before he even got within five feet. "Now Dr. Kintobor I think I have had quite enough of your shenanigans. You have been more than accommodating in every way except with what we need most. You put us up in some pretty swanky rooms, but dare I ask when it comes to some simple parts why you can't deliver?"

"I completely understand your frustration General." Robotnik said politely.

Snively whipped his head around, had he heard the doctor correctly. He caught himself staring at the doctor jaw open. _Has the fat man lost his marbles? Was he just polite?_

"Do you?" retorted the General, "I am sure you can recall that we have thousands of people stranded in space waiting for the parts you promised us. Are you a brother to us or not?"

"Of course I am, why do you think I have been helping you?"

"I am not sure? But what I do know is that you have done everything to make us comfortable here without helping us get what we really need and that's parts." Simmons walked right up Robotnik, so close that he could see it was starting to make him sweat. Simmons was clearly very good at making points. "I am not trying to come off as ungrateful, but I would appreciate it if you used more of the resources available to you to help us on our endeavors" Simmons said as he motioned out the windows to the factories.

"Perhaps I have underestimated the direness of your circumstances. All this time I have been so happy to see you, I have been trying to make things comfortable for you," Robotnik said nervously, clearly folding somewhat under the pressure. "However, I understand you must return to the others. I will have the parts for you tomorrow, I don't think I could live with the deaths of our brothers and sisters on my conscience."

_No, no, no he can't possibly be speaking the truth_ Snively thought, _I know for a fact that man has no conscience. What's his game? No one persuades him, so he must have a reason for letting them get their way. _

"That would be stupendous!" Simmons said in a seemingly sarcastic but non the less serious voice. "What do you need from us?"

"Just a list of parts, and perhaps some of your spare time."

"That's all? Why couldn't you have done this in the first place?"

"General, I am going well out of my way to help you with this, I would prefer if you rest on the fact that you're getting the help you need," Robotnik said now more sternly. He then turned to Snively, "Sniv…. I mean Colin" Robotnik said.

That was the icing on the cake, Robotnik never used his first name. _Something is wrong here,_ he thought_._

"Yes Sir?" Snively hesitantly responded.

"I am going to show these gentleman to the fabrication factories. Hopefully I can get them everything they need by tomorrow. I want you to keep an eye on things while I am gone. I don't want any more power outages… if you know what I mean"

Snively watched as Robotik followed the two back to the elevator and disappeared behind the sliding doors. _Now to find out what he is up to._

Snively raced over to Robotniks computer. Of course it was password protected, but Snively had built in back doors to every computer for just such an occasion. With a few clicks, he was in. He already knew what he was looking for, Project S.M.A.S.H. He had to admit, Robotnik had hidden it well and even took the time to encrypt it. _At last,_ Snively thought with the final click would open the file, _I can see what you are up to._

Snively's eyes darted back and forth across the screen, pouring over the data, but he didn't have to read far. _This…this is mad, even for him. Has he truly gone insane, he even has plans in this for me!_ Snively let out a small whimper as he slumped down into Robotniks chair. After sulking for a few moments, he picked his head back up. _I must stop him! I can't let him go through with this. But how? Its status says it's completed, so there is no use deleting the files now._

Snively didn't like his options. _If I tell anyone about this, it will only make things worse. _Then he smiled to himself, the answer was right in front of him on a monitor adjacent to the computer. _The hedgehog! He can make all of this go away. After all, if he does it, then Robotnik won't know it was me._

Snively fumbled around the desk for a blank disk. When he procured one, he put it in Robotnik's computer and backed up all the data. Now the only issue would be getting the Hedgehog to take it from him. _I could set him up and make him think he was taking it from me. Or I could just give it to him, but will he believe me?_

He didn't have a choice. Time was a serious issue. He took one more look at the monitor, which now showed Tails prying open the elevator doors on the ground floor of their guest building and grabbed the disk from Robotnik's computer. He headed for the elevator and hit the call button. He could hear the whirr of the motors within, and after thirty seconds of tapping his foot on the floor in impatience the door opened. The ride down was just as painfully as long. As soon as the doors opened on the ground floor he quickly made his way to the outside and across the street.

When he entered the lobby of the guest building, he found the elevator doors still open._ No matter,_ he thought as he hit the call button and the doors closed. At this point he was getting sick of the elevators. _Why does everything have to be on the hundredth floor, what's wrong with first floor?_ _I could be done by now if didn't have to spend all this time going up and down._ Snively glanced around, briefly admiring his handy work. He had designed the entire interior of the building to give it a more relaxed feel. Sure he didn't build it, that's what the worker bots were for, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.The bell dinged to announce the arrival of the elevator. He let himself in and swiped his access card. He already knew were they were heading. _They must be curious about our new friends._

When he reached the hundredth floor, he stepped out into the hallway, but was nearly run over by a girl who was skipping gleefully by all the while throwing her doll into the air. She stopped after taking a few steps past him and stared into his eyes.

"Mr. Colin sir, thank you for making the not scary robots, they are very nice."

Snively wasn't quite sure what she was talking about, but it sounded as if Sonic and his friend were pretending to be bots. _An admiral disguise that would only fool children, _he thought.

"You're very welcome." Snively replied with what he was hoping was a smile on his face.

He watched as she continued down the hall and disappeared into a room. Seeing the little child only pained Snively more at the lack of family and friends he had.

Rather than worry about things he couldn't change, he continued down the hall. If he didn't find Sonic or one of his other friends, he was going to have a lot more to worry about. When he reached the end of the hall, he was thankful, d to find Sonic standing over his two-tailed friend at a terminal. Ordinarily Snively would wait and see how long it would take them to notice him, but he felt the need to interject into their conversation, "Anyone else to find you, hedgehog?" he said, completing the Hedgehog's sentence for him.


	18. Chapter 18 Equilibrium

Tails froze on the spot again, but Sonic had his fill of people sneaking up behind him. Frankly, he was just annoyed now. Sonic casually turned around and said "What do you want Snivels?" Snively was standing behind him, arms folded behind his back. Normally he was afraid Sonic and the fact that he came alone only confused Sonic more.

"Hmm you don't seem happy to see me" Snively said snidely

"When would I ever be happy to see you?" Sonic said, clearly not amused at his attempt at humor.

"Perhaps when I come baring gifts?" Snively said as he pulled the disk out from behind his back.

Tails had stopped what he was doing after Snively had showed up, but his eyes were now locked onto the disc he was holding in his hand, something Snively definitely noticed.

"What's that, some pathetic excuse for a trap? How stupid do you think I am?"

Snively had seen this coming, he knew that Sonic would not be easy to convince.

"This my blue friend, is disc containing everything you want to know about the new arrivals and more."

Tails now chimed in, "Why would you give that to us?"

Snively was hoping he wouldn't have to explain himself, admitting that he needed help was not something he liked to do.

"Lets just say that if you look at what this disk has on it, you will see that we are all in for a bit of trouble if no one does anything about it."

"Oh I see" said Sonic, "You need our help. Why exactly would we want to help you?"

Now slightly angry and afraid, Snively grabbed Sonic by his shoulders shaking him while saying "Didn't you just hear what I said, this is all of our problems, not just mine or yours!"

Sonic stood there, glancing down at Snively's hands where they lay on his shoulders and then back up to Snively's eyes, subtly indicating that the most intelligent thing he could do at the moment would be to remove himself. Taking the hint Snively backed away. Sonic had never seen Snively act like this before; something told him that he might actually be telling the truth. Sonic reached out his hand for the disk, which Snively hesitantly handed over. Once he had it in his hand Sonic handed it off to Tails while keeping his eyes locked with Snively. _I still don't trust him, _he thought_._

Tails had already safely deposited the disk in his belt when Snively spoke again. "You need to get out of here," he said in a soft whisper as he began walking towards the elevator, doing his best to get Sonic and Tails to follow him. "Robotnik can't know you were here. I don't know how much time we have."

"What do you mean 'we'!" said Sonic, as he walked at a distance behind Snively.

"Here just take this," Snively said as he pulled out a spare keycard, "This will get you out of the building quickly. In addition it will let you into any building you want."

Tails eagerly ran up and grabbed the card from. "I have been trying to replicate one of these forever."

Snively took the moment to gloat about some of his handy work, "I suspect you didn't have much luck, they use a radioactive isotope that change predictably over time. It is replication proof."

"We will see about that," said Tails as he stared at the card, rotating and viewing it at various angles.

Snively stopped in front of the elevator and motioned for them to get in. "I trust you can figure out how to use the key card."

Tails didn't even respond, but rather just returned the snide look Snively had been giving him the entire time. Sonic followed Tails into the elevator and insterted the keycard into the slot. As the doors closed he could hear Snively say, "Don't disappoint me hedgehog."

"When have I ever" Sonic replied modestly. With that, the doors were shut and the two friends were now together in the elevator.

"Sonic, why do you think he did that?"

"It's probably some stupid trap. I bet there's 50 SWAT bots waiting for us when these doors open again."

"Then why are we walking into the trap?"

"Because its fun to watch them squirm when it doesn't work"

Tails could never get used to Sonic's ego. He would often do outrageous things just to prove he could or that someone else couldn't. Tails watched as Sonic lowered his stance; ready to pounce as soon as the doors opened. When the doors finally did open revealing an empty room, Sonic stood there for a moment, confused.

"Now what?" Tails asked

"Lets get out of here, even if this isn't a trap he still knows we are here."

"I'll radio Bunny, we should get back to Knothole."

While they both walked towards the front of the building Tails reached up and pressed his hand to his ear. "Bunny are you there?"

"Sure am. You're never going to believe what I found."

"We came across some pretty interesting information our selves, we will meet you back at Knothole."

"Roger that."

Tails waved his arms in front of the motion detector to let him out. Not surprisingly the weather had changed, even in the short time they had been inside. He could almost smell the rain approaching through the thick toxins and the clouds over head only confirmed what he already knew was coming.

"We better hurry up Sonic, it looks like its going to rain."

Sonic nodded in agreement, but yet he just stood there while Tails moved hastily down the street. Tails turned around to see Sonic emptying the contents of his backpack.

"What are you doing Sonic?"

"Remember how I used to carry you around in my backpack? I thought now might be a good time to try that again." Sonic said with a smile clearly happy that he was now putting Tails in an awkward spot.

"Sonic that was years ago, I don't think I'll fit anymore"

"We need to get back to the Tornado, and the fastest way to do that is me running."

Tails couldn't help but agree, but that didn't mean he liked the prospect of climbing into a backpack. Sure he found it fun when he was younger, but not for the ride, but because he got to spend time with Sonic while they were doing dangerous stuff. Sonic had set the pack on the ground and was now waiting impatiently for Tails. _AHH! Just don't let anyone see me like this_ he thought. He stepped into the pack and did his best to sit down inside. After a little bit of squeezing he managed to fit himself in a seemingly uncomfortable fashion inside the bag, but his head and shoulders still remained out side the bag.

Sonic looked down at with an even bigger smile, "That will have to do I suppose." He then walked over and picked up that pack. "Hey little cuz, your not so little any more" Sonic muttered as he strained himself to pick up the pack. Once he had the straps firmly on his shoulder he took a moment to gather his strength.

"Tails?"

"Yeah Sonic?"

"You want to hand me the ring?"

Tails had noticed that the power ring was the one thing Sonic hadn't emptied out of the pack, and for good reason. Tails had seen Sonic use them to win fights dozens of times. They gave him a huge power boost, but he wasn't sure why he wanted it now.

"Sure, but why do you want it now?" Tails asked as he passed the ring over his head into Sonic's waiting hand.

"Well like you said, we need to get back to Knothole fast and I can't think of a faster way."

Tails could feel Sonic's breath slow as he relaxed and absorbed the power. Then without warning he lurched forward with unimaginable acceleration. Tails wasn't sure if the straps on the backpack were going to hold or whether his stomach would be in the same place when he stopped. The city was a blur, concrete and steel melded together as Sonic raced through the streets. After what only seemed like ten seconds, Sonic was already out of the city and moving past the abandoned houses. Tails couldn't help but think about how Sonic was going to cross the river. However, his thoughts were answered when the river appeared beneath him as Sonic ran across it if it was pavement. _Wow that's fast, _Tails thought. Tails had as much of love for speed as Sonic, but he wasn't sure he had ever gone this fast before. Not even the Tornado was capable of these speeds. Before he could even finish thinking about the fastest he had gone before this, and how it compared, Sonic came to an abrupt stop.

Tails looked around surprised to see himself surrounded by the same grassy field he had arrived in the day before. Sonic slowly let him down from his shoulders and placed him on the ground. Tails quickly freed himself from the uncomfortable position.

"Wow! How fast was that?" Tails exclaimed as he looked down and checked his watch. "You covered all that in two minuets!"

"They don't call the fastest thing alive for nothing kid," Sonic said with a wink.

Tails stumbled over to the Tornado, he felt as if he was about to loose the lunch he never ate. Moving at that speed had messed up his equilibrium, and he struggled to keep his balance.

"Ugh, how do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Move that fast and still stand up straight?"

Sonic watched as Tails fumbled around. He hadn't ever really thought about it, since he had been able to run that fast he had always been fine.

"Just do I guess. C'mon Tails let me help you" Sonic said as he walked over to Tails and put a hand on his shoulder to guide him over to the Tornado. Sonic helped him pull the tarp off, again revealing the bright red plane.

After folding up the tarp and placing it back under his seat Tails was feeling considerably better. His head was finally clear.

"Alright Sonic, I am good to go. Do you want to race, or would you like a ride?"

As much as Sonic loved races, he thought some down time could do him some good. Without responding he hopped into the co-pilot seat and propped on the seat in front of him. Tails just smiled at his friend's laziness. Granted he just had carried him over forty miles in a time Tails was still trying fathom.

Tails climbed the foot holdings that led into his bi-plane and hopped into his seat. He took one look back at Sonic who was already fast asleep before he strapped himself into his seat. After taking a few moments to prep the plane, Tails pulled his goggles over his eyes and started the engine. It sputtered into life, vibrating the whole plane. Although, he had a strong feeling it didn't wake Sonic up.

Tails carefully maneuvered the plane back out onto the street and did his best to line it up with the faint yellow lines that run down the center. Moving his hand forward on the throttle, he could feel the acceleration pull him back into his seat. The uneven street was even more noticeable on take off, so he did his best to make it a quick one. Once the wheels left the ground, only the sound of the engine could be herd. Tails yawned as he leaned back in his seat to relax for the ride home. _What a day, _he thought.


	19. Chapter 19 When We Were Younger

When the wheels of the Tornado touched down Sonic's eyes snapped open. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, jus that he was on the Tornado. Sonic relaxed when he looked around and found familiar surroundings when he peered out of the cockpit. Tails was sitting in front of him, guiding the plane into the hanger. He must have been more tired than he thought he was, the last thing he remembered was sitting down in the Tornado back when it was out in the field near Robotropolis.

The shadow of the hanger passed over Sonic's head as they slowly rolled inside. The cool damp air inside the hanger was a refreshing wake up. As the plane rolled to a stop, Sonic jumped out before Tails even cut the engine. He began to stretch out as he casually walked away from the plane, sitting in one position for the entire flight had its down side.

Sonic could here the engine sputter to a stop along with the faint clicking sound of Tails unbuckling himself. He walked over to the work bench were Tails kept his tools, figuring that he could help his friend.

"Tails," Sonic shouted, "Can I give you a hand with anything?"

Tails looked over at Sonic, unsure of what to tell him.

"Uh sure, grab me wheel blocks, they're sitting on the bench right there."

Sonic turned to grab the small bocks of wood so that he could bring them over to Tails, but before he could an all to familiar voice from behind him called out "Hey there Blue."

Sonic turned around to find Sally standing in the doorway of the hanger. He hadn't expected to see her soon, but was delighted nonetheless. He set the blocks of wood back down on the work bench and began to walk in her direction.

"Hey Sal."

Sally walked up to him, and as she got close pulled him in for a hug. It was obvious that she missed him. However, this was no ordinary hug, she was clinging onto him for her life, as if she had lost him. Sonic gently pulled Sally away to reveal small tears streaming down her face. She quickly whipped them away not wanting to appear weak.

"What's wrong Sal?"

"Don't ever leave me again without saying goodbye!" Sally said firmly through her teary eyes, "Especially to explain things to your mother by myself."

Sonic couldn't help but scratch the back of his head in shame. He knew he had left her without saying goodbye, but he had forgotten to leave a note for his mother.

"I am sorry, you just looked too peaceful to be disturbed."

Sally stood there with folded arms, staring at him, analyzing his every movement. After thoroughly scrutinizing him she spoke, "Your pillows smell like chili dogs" she said bluntly.

Out of all the things Sonic expected to hear during his day, that's wasn't high on his list.

"What can I say, sometime I get hungry at night."

Feeling relieved, Sally walked back up to Sonic and wrapped her arm around his and led him back towards the door.

Sonic turned back to look at Tails, he didn't want to leave him with all the work. Tails however, had been watching him and was now waving him on while he mouthed the words, "Go on, I'll take care of it." He would have to make this up to Tails later.

Sonic walked out of the hanger with his hand joined with Sally's. The afternoon sun peered through the trees creating tiny speckles of light that danced around as the branches above swayed in the wind.

After walking nearly a mile, Sally broke the silence, "Sonic, there's something I need to tell you before someone or something takes you away from me again. I don't why it's taken me this long to tell you or to realize that I should tell you," the she paused before saying, "I love you."

He had always known this, he just never had to face her telling him until now. The truth was he was almost as sure his feelings ran just as deep for her as well, but admitting that would take more courage than he had at the moment. Sonic stopped just as the two entered the shade of a giant willow tree and looked into Sally's eyes, they seemed to hold an entire other world.

"I know you do. It's why I do everything that I do, to keep you safe. I don't know what I would do without you."

Sonic saw it coming, and normally he would have run, but something kept him grounded in place as Sally leaned in closer until her lips were pressed against his. She lingered there for a moment and then pulled away. Sonic watched as she stared back into his eyes, searching for a response. Sonic knew that his reaction would mean everything to her. He placed the palm of his hand on her cheek and brushed it back through her hair as he moved in and kissed her gently on the lips. Sally's eyes glimmered with a shine he had never seen before. He hadn't kissed her just because he thought it was the right thing to do, but because he had wanted to do it for longer than he could remember.

Although he had to admit this wasn't exactly how he had pictured their first kiss. Sure she had kissed him plenty of times before, but not like this. This meant something. They had always been friends, but he had a feeling they were more than that now. They remained in the shade of the tree, embracing each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. Sonic continued to stare into her eyes studying them for any clues, but he was simply to overwhelm to make up his mind about anything.

Sally was the first to move. She again took Sonic's hand as she motioned from him to continue down the path with her.

"Sally?" Sonic asked.

"Yes Sonic?"

"When we were younger did I ever tease you so much that you cried?"

Sally wasn't really quite sure where this question was coming from, but still answered, "Only once."

"I am sorry."

Sally chuckled, "Why do you ask?"

"Today I saw some of the overlander children, and they reminded me how I used to tease you."

"Speaking of the overlanders, what did you find out?"

"Funny you should mention that, Snively gave us a disk that he claims will have everything we are looking for on it."

"And you guys fell for that?" Sally said in disbelief, "Don't you think that's a bit odd for it to be true?"

"Of course I thought it was odd, but there was something off about him. Besides we didn't have a choice. He knew we were there, we had to leave."

"What did you do with the information?"

"Tails has it."

Before Sally could even ask, the two tailed fox in question streaked by on his hover board.

"I suppose we should get back to the castle and look over that information," Sally said, slightly disappointed that her time with Sonic was getting cut short yet again.

"C'mon Sal," Sonic said as he carefully picked her up. He held her gently in his arms in front of him as began to run along the path in attempt to catch up to Tails.

Sally hadn't even gotten a chance to respond. She would have originally preferred the longer walk back with him, but now she was in his arms with the wind rushing through her air. As she leaned closer to him resting her head on his shoulder she could feel his steady breathing and the thump of his heart. _Perhaps this is better,_ she thought.

Sonic was sure that he should have caught up to Tails by now. _Man he must have really been moving. I didn't know that thing could go so fast,_ Sonic thought to himself. Although he wasn't going at any great speed himself, in fact, by his standards he was taking his time but that's because he had Sally in his arms.

Sonic slowed down to a brisk walk as he approached the guard gate. When he stopped in front of it he gently set Sally down, keeping a hand on her incase she lost her balance. Sonic smiled as he looked up at Sally's red hair, which was now in a tangle. Seeing his smirk, Sally quickly pushed her hair back into what she was hoping was an acceptable style.

The guard didn't bother to ask any questions, clearly recognizing the two. However, before the two could walk through the gate, another guard approached them and began. "Tails is already inside, He indicated that you two might not be too far behind. "

"Did he say were we could find him?" Sally asked.

"He mentioned something about the command center, that would be my first bet."

"Thank you sir."

"My pleasure your highness."

Sally cringed at the words, she hated being shown that much respect. She wanted to say something to the guard, but he had already turned around to return to his post. Rather than waste her breath, she continued inside, following after Sonic.

Sally had just caught up with him as he walked around the bend in the hallway. Nothing could have made her any less happy than what she found as she turned the corner herself.

"Sonic! You're back!" Amy yelled as she ran up to Sonic, giving him a big hug.

_Why?_ Sally asked her self, _Why now?_ _The first little bit of time I am alone with him and she shows up. That letter can't be published soon enough_.

"Hey Sally," Amy said as she turned towards her.

"Hi Amy. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Nicole said that Tails had some more info on the overlanders and I figured if I went to the source, I would find Sonic."

_Is she that naive? Could she really not see what obviously existed between her and Sonic_. Sally was rarely ever this brash, even in her own thoughts, but she was finally starting to see the side of Amy that Sonic must see. She had always thought Amy was just too young to get it, that she was just obsessed with him the way little girls always obsess over a crush. _No, there is something more; she is just too persistent and unaware to press this hard._

Sally took a deep breath when she realized she had begun to shake with a small amount of fury. _No, this is just Amy,_ she reminded herself_. I need to relax, if I am this protective of Sonic I will turn into her and I know I don't want that._

"So what did you guys find huh?" Amy asked as she followed Sonic and Sally towards the command center.

"Snively gave us some disc that's supposed to have all the answers," Sonic answered unenthusiastically.

"More like one big computer virus," added Sally as she turned to him and said, "Sonic if this hurts Nicole you will never hear the end of it."

Sonic was hoping that Tails had already thought of that, because he no longer had the disc. However, given that the possibility of the disc containing a computer virus had already crossed his mind, he was sure it had crossed Tails too. _The fox has an IQ of 300, there is no way he would overlook something that simple,_ Sonic reassured himself.

When Sonic reached the door to the stairs he pulled it open and motioned Amy and Sally inside while saying, "Ladies, after you"

"Aww thanks Sonic, you're so sweet," Amy replied as she stepped in front of Sally and through the door first. Sally just rolled her eyes as she walked past him.

Sonic had a feeling Sally was holding his hand again just to remind Amy where she fit in. Sonic didn't like doing this to Amy, and he could tell it was bothering her too. She glanced over her shoulder almost every minute as the walked down the poorly lit stairwell. He would have said something to Sally if Amy wasn't standing so close, but he had a feeling it the long run it probably wouldn't affect Amy for more than five minutes.

"Finally!" Amy announced.

Sonic could see that she had reached the bottom of the stairs, and quickly ran up and pounded on the bulkhead. After a few moments the door swung open of its own accord revealing Tails sitting at the terminal inside. Nicole was standing next to him in her holographic form looking over his shoulder. The three of them stepped inside and walked over to the terminal, which now had dozens of open schematics splashed across the screen.

Without even removing his eyes from the screen Tails began, "I think you guys are going to want to see this."

**Don't worry the next chapter has all of the answers in it. By now some of you are probably frustrated, and rightfully so, but I didn't want to split this chapters attention between two things, so the next chapter will revolve entirely around… well everything I have left out. And yes just in case you are wondering I do know what happens next and I am not flying by the seat of my pants. I have a story board that I am following and like I said it didn't fit nicely into one chapter so its getting pushed to the next one, sorry.**


	20. Chapter 20 Code Named SMASH

**This is a spoiler warning. If you for some odd reason decide to read this chapter before any of the others, you will ruin the entire story... or at least most of it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sally walked up to the monitor, looking over the plans. Sonic could see the life slowly fade out of her as she read it. Taking a step closer himself he asked, "What is it?"

"It's a project that Robotnik has code named S.M.A.S.H, which is an acronym for sub-mechanize all sentient humans…humans are what the overlanders refer to themselves as." Tails answered.

"So he wants to roboticize all the new overlanders? That's not so bad." Sonic replied.

This time it was Sally who spoke up, "No Sonic its worse than that. He doesn't want to roboticise them, but control them in their current form. He wants to trap them in their own minds, forcing them to do his bidding while they are all still capable of their own thought. It's a torture far worse than anything he has dreamed up before."

"Robots seem a lot more scary than just regular overlanders, I still don't see what the big fuss is." Sonic said, still unimpressed with the information.

"Sonic, when you make a machine it becomes limited by its programming. However, if you have rational being still capable of active thought under your control they can learn, adapt, anticipate, and do all of the other things that make machines inferior. These overlanders won't have a choice when it comes to listening to him, but they will still retain all of their cognitive abilities that make them better opponents. With these humans under his control he will be a far more destructive force." Sally answered looking displeased by Sonic's lack of concern.

"Sally, look at this," Tails said as he motioned to the monitor.

Sonic moved up behind the two of them to read the screen. It was a captains log file that read

"…The damages caused by the space debris has caused unforeseen difficulty, including the unfortunate loss of life. Our fleet now currently stands at 51,384 healthy members and 2,539 who have been injured in some way as a result of the accident. It has become imperative that repairs be made immediately. With only three ships that are fully functional, our entire species hangs by a small thread. Should the repairs take more resources than currently available, we will have no choice but to seek more or risk the deaths of thousands. We cannot yet rely on the new planet to provide suitable living conditions. Even the most conservative of estimates suggest fifty or more years will be necessary before the planet becomes habitable..."

"So that's where they are," Sonic said in amazement, "But they are too far away to be of any use to Robotnik."

"Not if he lets them leave Sonic. The whole reason he made them so comfortable here is so that they would all want to come back while their planet is being teraformed. If these numbers are accurate, they will outnumber us three to one on their return."

"When does it say they are returning to their fleet?" Sonic asked

"It doesn't, but this project was marked as complete today, so I would imagine Robotnik has already begun to move them it that direction."

"What guarantee does he have that they will come back?"

"The device," Sally said, "All he has to do is put one in their leader and he will convince everyone its safe to return."

Sonic was finally starting to see the problem, and it most certainly wasn't a small one. However, there was still something bothered him, _why did Snively give us all this information?_ It was one of the best plans he had ever seen, why give it to the enemy.

"Why do you think Snively give us this?" Sonic asked

"Because he is on the list Sonic," Tails responded, "Robotnik plans to use the device on him too."

Sonic couldn't believe it, that was a low blow, even for Robotnik. _After all the years Snively had spent helping him, this was how he was going to thank him? By making him more of slave than he already is…_

"So what are we going to do? What can we do?" Sonic inquired.

"I don't know" Said Sally and Tails simultaneously.

Before any of them could deliberate on the subject any longer, Nicole interjected, "Sally, Tails, Amy, Sonic, the King has arranged in emergency meeting in light of this new information. It is scheduled to begin in ten minuets. He has requested your presence."

The four of them looked over at the hologram only to watch as she faded out of existence and back into her cyber world. Each one of them ran for the stairs as eager as the next to see the Kings response.

Amy was the first one to the door and Sonic could see nearly the entire console as she opened it. His uncle was seated close to the King, with his father farther down the table. Nicole was standing patiently in the middle of the table, eyeing the four of them in particular. The only seats that were left were at the opposite end of the King's giant oak table. After seating themselves, the King stood up and the room went void of all sound.

"Nicole. Would you please inform everyone of the current situation."

"Certainly Sir," Nicole began, "As you all know we have been observing the overlanders for the last 24 hours. Recently we have gained new intel that suggest they are here to retrieve parts for the remainder of their fleet. Seizing the opportunity, Robotnik has planned to brainwash them all with neural device that will allow him to control their thoughts. With this device he will not only be able to bring back the rest of the fleet, he will have control of every single person among it. Being able to control such intelligent creatures will give him the most powerful force we have ever seen."

Murmurs quickly filled the room again but were cut short with on wave of the Kings hand.

"Danger looms my friends, and we must act accordingly. Our only chance of survival is to prepare for their arrival. While we do not know how long they will be gone, we do know that they have been gone for twenty-five years. With luck we will have at least that to prepare for their return. We have fought them before, we can fight them again!" The King exclaimed as he smashed his fist into the hard table.

Sonic was surprised when Sally stood up. The look in her face said that she disagreed with her father, and what she said only confirmed it.

"Why not stop all this now? Why let Robotnik do this, when we can stop them now!" Sally exclaimed.

The room filled with dull whispering, some of which seemed to suggest that others may have agreed with her.

"And how would you purpose we do that? March into Robotropolis, into a fortified city with thousands of overlanders none the less?"

"They are not under his control yet! And if we could tell them what he intends to do…"

"Out of the question! These overlanders cannot be negotiated with; they will not listen to us. It is their nature to turn on each other, and so it has happened again. Trying to stop this will only make Robotnik press harder."

Breathing deeply, fist clenched as her shoulders rose up and down with each breath, Sally shouted, "You can't let your past interfere with this! We don't know who they are anymore. Just because of the wars you fought with them doesn't mean we can't work things out. What he is doing to them is torture, I can't stand idly here while I know what he is doing to them!"

"They are not kin to us Sally, their safety and well being comes second to ours. I thought surely even you would have seen that. These are their own problems, we must face the ones concerning us."

Sally was only more frustrated she couldn't see why her father was so stubborn; he wasn't even trying to listen to her.

"Can't you just…" Sally began only to be cut off by her father.

"This conversation is over, my decision is final!"

"No its not!" Sonic yelled.

He looked down to find himself on his feet. Somewhat unaware of what he had just done he looked back down the table to find every single face in the room staring at him. The Kings expression was not one of anger, but surprise even though what he had just done was considered by most to be treason. There was no going back from what he had just done. Sonic had always known the right fights to pick, but this time he was doubting himself. He took a few moments to gather himself and began, "Sir you said that you had tried to talk with the overlanders some twenty five years ago, but they wouldn't listen. Here is our chance. When they get back there will be no talking because they wont be thinking for themselves. Right now they are unsuspecting as we used to be. If we come to them in a time of need they will be in our debt, and we won't have to fight them again, not now, not ever. Just because they are not like us doesn't mean that they deserve to be slaves and while you may assume that they turn on each other, it is the people like Robotnik that start these wars, not them. If we don't help them now then we are no better than they were twenty five years ago."

With that Sonic stood at the opposite end of the table, meeting anyone who was brave enough to meet his eyes. The King was the only one whose eyes remained fixated on him. Sonic stood proudly waiting for his response while his insides crawled with anticipation. Something told him that he had won.

When the King finally spoke again, it wasn't with anger but what sounded like respect.

"Sonic, I commend you for your insight. However, we can simply solve this problem as easily as you would have it seem. If we told them what he was planning we can't predict the consequences. Furthermore we don't know how to stop Robotnik. It simply isn't possible to help them."

Sally stood up again next to Sonic, her emotions gone. In a faint voice she said, "Yes it is. We can help them. We have all the plans and schematics. If we do things right we can find away to disable the device. If we can't do that we can get them away from Robotnik before he can plant the mind control devices inside anybody."

"And how exactly would we sneak one thousand overlanders out of Robotropolis without Robotnik noticing? What would we do with them?"

"There is enough room in this valley for them. We could help them until we find away to get them back to their fleet."

The King sat down his chair and leaned back. "I don't like the idea of sharing our home with a former enemy. There must be another way. You said that you could disable the device?"

This time it was Tails who responded, "Yes we can Sir, but only before it's been implanted in the person. Once it is inside the subject, any tampering with it would likely kill them. Even if we could hack the network he used it would be unlikely that we could develop a way to communicate with their brains. The device works through the transfer of one persons' thoughts to another and because none of us have an overlander brain there would be no way to control them. Implanting the device is no easy task. The equipment required for that alone probably took months of research. That makes it our best bet at defeating him. If we can destroy the apparatus that inserts the neural implants then we may have a shot of preventing Robotnik from ever gaining control of them in the first place."

The King folded his arms and placed them on the table, taking a second think things over.

"Are you confident about this Tails?"

Without hesitation Tails responded, "Yes sir, one hundred percent."

"Very well then, I want a detailed plan of attack on my desk in the morning, and only then will I consider a plan to save the ghosts of our past. Until then my plan stands, no one does anything in regard to these developments unless it involves planning for the overlanders return. Do I make my self clear?"

The King took the silence in the room as an answer to his question. "Dismissed" he said.

The entire room filled with dull roar as the meetings attendants got up to leave. Sonic was still standing, his knuckles pressed into the table. A hand lightly brushed up against his shoulder, removing him from the world he had been living in. As he turned his head he could see that it was Sally. As he turned towards her, she hugged him while Saying, "Thanks for saving me Sonic, I owe you one."

"It was nothing Sally. You were right about everything."

"But without you no one would have listened to me." She replied as she starred back into his eyes.

Without any warning, she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips and then embraced him again. She stayed there in his arms without showing signs of wanting to leave and as he looked around while holding her, Sonic could see that nearly everyone had just seen them, including the King. Amy clearly had no idea what to make of the situation, but stood there and watched even though Sonic was sure it was killing her. The King on the other hand was, to Sonic's surprise, wearing a smile.


	21. Chapter 21 Good Intentions

When Sally finally let go of him, nearly everyone in the room was gone, with the exception of Tails and Amy.

Tails spoke first, "We are going to need to start planning this right away. Sally, I could really use your help."

Tails had learned his lesson the last time he tried to plan something on his own. He was nearly responsible for the death of his best friend. _I told myself I wouldn't do this again, but it's even more important now. At least I will have Sally here to help me_, Tails thought to himself.

"Of courses," Sally said somewhat unenthusiastically. She wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with Sonic, but she knew this was more important than her personal feelings. She looked back one last time at Sonic and gave him a subtle wink before she turned to walk away.

Sally and Tails headed back towards the command center leaving Sonic alone with Amy. _Oh no, not again_, Sonic thought.

"Sonic." He heard from behind him. He gulped and turned around. _She can't possibly think she still has a chance with me. Not after what she just saw. _

"So how about we continue that conversation." Amy asked.

"What conversation Amy?"

"The one about you and me?"

Sonic stared blankly at her. Her persistence was undeniable; he had to giver her credit. He never had seen anyone so blindly devoted to someone else.

"Amy," Sonic began, "you and I are not going to work. I tried to tell you this before."

"Why not? You wont even give me a chance"

He had to admit she had a point there but that was because of Sally. He couldn't just turn his back on her because Amy wanted a chance with him.

"Look Amy, I know you like me a lot, but you know I am with Sally and even though you are my age now, it's hard to think of you that way. Your affection for me is clearly a remainder of the affection you had for me as a child."

"So you're saying there is no chance for me?"

"No that's not what I said…"

"So there is a chance?"

"That's not what I said either. Amy right now things just won't work out between us."

"So you're saying you don't like me?" Amy asked desperately.

"Not the way you like me." Sonic said softly, trying not to hurt the young hedgehog's feelings.

Amy stood there as if she was about to cry. Sonic started to feel bad, he didn't want to do this to her. She was such a sweet kid, but this had to stop. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew if he did that she would take it the wrong way. When she finally did speak again, it wasn't what Sonic was expecting to hear.

"Prove it!" Amy demanded.

"Prove what?" Sonic asked now confused.

"Prove that you don't like me the way I like you."

"How would I do that?"

"Kiss me," Amy said bluntly.

"That doesn't prove anything and besides I can't do that, you know I am with Sally."

"If I really don't mean anything to you then a kiss will mean nothing to you as well."

"Amy, that's ridiculous. I can't…"

"Yes you can. I won't leave you alone until I know you don't care. One kiss that's all I want, then I'll leave you alone."

Sonic didn't know what to do. _No one is around and one kiss can't hurt anything. Right?_ But the thought Sally jumped back into his head. He couldn't just kiss Amy to make things go away. _It means nothing though, so it shouldn't matter. I need to get this over with so she will leave me alone. _

"Fine" Sonic said, "one kiss."

Amy's face lit up like Christmas tree. She ran up to him and when she got close puckered up her lips. Sonic took one more look around the room to make sure no one was looking and then kissed her.

Amy took a step back and then examined Sonic for any sign of compassion. She stared into his eyes for a while searching for something but Sonic kept his face devoid of all expressions. The truth was he did feel something, not much but he couldn't deny it to himself that it was there. Some small piece inside of him was telling him that it felt right. Luckily he quickly repressed that feeling with the thought of Sally.

"Huh, I guess you really do mean it." Amy said softly. Without saying anything else she turned and walked away.

_Finally,_ Sonic thought, _she gets it. _He never wanted to hurt Amy, and this certainly wasn't how he had ever planned on explaining things to her but at least it was done. The only question he had left on his mind why he had felt something when he expected to feel nothing.

"Sonic." Nicole said from behind him causing Sonic quills to stand on end. _Did she see me?_ He slowly turned around to see Nicole standing at eye level with him.

"Hey Nicole" he said nervously.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Sally," she said, "it was the right decision."

"Y-you saw that?"

"Yes. But I also know that you did it to prove to her that you don't like her. Sally would be proud, even if she was angry first. Its obvious that you had good intentions."

"I don't know what to do though. Should I tell her?"

"It would be better than her finding out from Amy."

Sonic sighed, he was really hoping to avoid this, but Nicole was right, he was going to have to tell Sally.

"Perhaps you should ask Ally," Nicole said, "She always seem to give some good advice for these types of problems."

Nicole knew that Sonic would be telling Sally indirectly, but at the same time she knew it would be better that way. Sally would find out from Sonic's letter, which would give her time to process it and at the same time she would know that he cares a lot about her. She amazed herself sometimes at just how human like she could be, capable of showing compassion as well as having underlying motives of her own.

"Yeah! That's a good idea. Thanks, Nicole!"

Sonic had just recently written to Ally, but another letter couldn't hurt, especially a question this important. Sonic would have considered starting it right away but Nicole spoke again.

"Sonic, you should head down to the bunker, they are waiting for you there."

"Alright, I'll catch you latter Nicole," Sonic said as she turned to make his way to the command center. Even though he was getting rather annoyed with this whole ordeal he still wanted to see how the planning was going.

The walk down to the bunker was dull and boring, just like it always was and it certainly wasn't helping him take his mind off the fact that he had just kissed Amy. He had to continually remind himself of why he did and that it meant nothing to him. As he pushed open the large steel door, both Sally and Tails looked up from their work to see who it was.

"I was wondering when you would show up. Where have you been?" Sally asked.

"Just talking," Sonic responded nervously.

Luckily Sally was too busy to notice the stress in voice. He proceeded to walk over to their planning table and sit down next to her.

"What have we got so far?" Sonic asked.

"Not much," Tails answered, "We don't know where this implant machine is."

"Do we know how to destroy it?"

Sally answered this time, "Yes, a simple EMP device will do the trick. Rotor is already working on it."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we need to convince one of the overlanders to wear the device and the one most likely to receive the implant first." Tails answered

"So Simmons?" Sonic said.

"Precisely. However, convincing him won't be easy given that he has the most history with us."

"So, you guys want to convince Simmons to wear the device so that when Robotnick tries to implant the thing in him it will break the machine before he can use it on any one else? That doesn't seem so hard?"

"How does that not seem hard Sonic?" Sally asked

"Well why don't we just explain everything to Simmons."

"Sonic, we can't just expect him to believe us?"

"Sure we can, we have the disk remember. Not to mention the key that could get us back into his building undetected."

"What key?" Sally asked

Tails had forgotten to mention the key before, so he removed it from his pouch and put it on the table.

"This one. I almost forgot that we had it. According to Snively it will get us into any building we want. So far it has checked out, so I am pretty sure we can rely on it.

"Well this changes everything," Sally said, "but we still can't expect him to believe us. Maybe we can put the EMP on him while he is asleep."

"That might work, but we are still going to have to figure out how to get them to leave before Robotnik fixes the thing. That also assumes that he would even let them leave without planting a mind control device in at least one of them," Tails said.

Then a new voice chimed in, "I think Sonic is right, the best way to do this is to explain things to Simmons. If we show him all the information, he will have to believe us and if he believes us, getting everyone else to cooperate will be much easier."

Sonic looked over to see the King in the corner of the room. It was rare to ever see him down here; the stairs were difficult for him in his older age.

"Sir, I didn't expect to see you down here," Sonic said.

After seeing the Kings reaction at the meeting, this was the last place he expected to see him. Something must have changed his mind.

"I wanted to see what you were planning first hand." he replied, " As I was saying before, Sonic's idea has been the most sound so far. Additionally, I would like you to bring Simmons back here for just a bit so that I may talk with him."

"Dad, that makes things even harder. How are we supposed to convince him that the person who is helping is in fact trying to enslave the rest of his race and get him to come back and talk to his former enemy all in one trip"

"Sally my dear, if you can convince him that he needs our help, I know he will come and speak with me. As much as we are enemies we are also friends."

"And just how are we supposed to sneak him out of the city?"

"I never said I had all of the answers," the King replied.

Sonic had a feeling he knew how to get Simmons away from the city, in fact it almost seemed too easy.

"I know how we can get him out!" Sonic exclaimed.

"I sure hope you don't plan on putting him in your back pack," Tails said sarcastically.

"No, I don't," Sonic said as he chuckled at the memory of Tails in his backpack, "If Robotnik knows that he can help make the overlanders come back then he will give anything to Simmons. So if Simmons asks for a hovercraft to explore the surrounding area of the city we can meet him where no one will see us."

"But Sonic, Simmons doesn't have to want to come back if he puts that thing in his head." Tails said.

"Trust me Robotnik will let him have it just to keep him happy."

"He is right," Sally said, "Robotnik will give them whatever they want up until he puts that thing in their head. As long as we can get to him before that then this may actually work.

The King spoke again, "I must say there is a lot of 'ifs' in this plan. However, I believe that this may be our best shot at stopping this before it begins. Tails, can you have a plan written up in the next few hours? I would like to share it with the council."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, then you will have my approval as long as I get to speak with Simmons. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir. But why do you want to speak with him?"

"Because Nicole presented some other information that was on the disk to me as well."

Tails had not yet had a chance to go through the entire disk, he could only imagine what other dark secrets were on it.

"What is that, sir?

"It may be the key piece of information that you need to convince him. It was called Project Purity. The overlanders had begun to research a way to remove the poison that had taken over the planet, but it was a failure. I believe this is the real reason they left the planet. However, as it turns out, Robotnik had files on this project. It would appear that he not only stole the work, but sabotaged the results."

"So you're saying that Robotnik was the one who is responsible for making them leave" Sonic asked.

"Yes, he tricked them. He wanted them to leave the planet so he could conquer the world with the working version of Project Purity. If we present this information to him, it is likely that he and his fleet will return. If I am to allow that he must agree to my terms. I will not tolerate a repeat of our past encounters when they return to this planet."

"I'll have something ready for you in the next three hours Sir," Tails said.

"Thank you, Tails. Now I must go, I have other matters to attend to." the King said as he got up out of his chair and walked towards the door.

Both Sally and Sonic got up, they knew the stairs were not going to be easy for him. They approached him on either side, each of them taking an arm and together the three of them walked up the stairs.


	22. Chapter 22 Tomorrow

Hey everyone, very sorry for not updating in what seems like forever. My exams and final projects, which I have had for the last two weeks were very time consuming so this got put on the back burner. Now that I am back home and summer is here you can expect updates more often.

The following is just some filler I wrote. It will likely get condensed into some other chapter later on or expanded upon. I have plans for re-writing this whole thing, which I explain better in my profile. So until I get all unpacked enjoy this short chapter and be reminded I haven't forgotten about this story.

Cheers to anyone who reads this!

* * *

Helping the King up the stairs was taking considerably more time than Sonic had anticipated. His pace was easily two or three times slower than Sonic's walking pace, so he was going no where fast.

"One of these days we are going to have to build that elevator," the King said through his labored breathing.

"It's good exercise dad."

"I am to old for this" he said in reply.

The King grew heavier with nearly every step he took as he transferred more and more of his weight to the helpful arms of Sally and Sonic. It was nothing that either of them couldn't handle, but it was obvious that his age was beginning to show.

"Sonic, you must tell me if you and Sally have picked a date for the wedding."

All of the color drained out Sonic's face, _did he just say wedding?_

"Dad!" Sally retorted.

"I am sorry my dear," the King answered, "I couldn't resist. However, in all seriousness Sonic you will ask my permission before asking my daughters hand in marriage."

Sonic didn't like were this conversation was going. It was one thing to say that he and Sally were more than friends, but marriage was another issue Sonic didn't want to deal with right now.

"Of course sir" Sonic replied casually.

"Sonic," Sally began, "don't mind my father. He has been dead set on the two of us getting married for longer than I can remember."

"Of course I have Sally. I want the best man possible for my daughter and nothing makes me happier than to see you two together."

_Well that explains something,_ Sonic thought as he remembered seeing the King smiling earlier that day. Sonic couldn't think of anything to say, nor was he sure that he should say anything anyway. Luckily they were only a few steps from the top. As Sonic helped the King up the last step he released him, allowing him to move freely again.

"Thank you, both of you," the King said. "Now if you will excuse me I must go."

The King turned and walked slowly down the hall back towards his chambers. Moments later a guard showed up next to him to escort him the rest of the way. Sonic and Sally had watched from a distance to make sure that he no longer needed their help before turning in the opposite direction.

"So blue, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know Sal, it's getting kind of late," Sonic replied.

"Well then perhaps this time you can walk me back to my house."

The two of them walked down the now deserted hallways and out the door. They again found themselves on the steps just as they had been the night before. Only a dim orange glow remained on the westward horizon and much of the stars were already starting to appear. For a the moment the two of them walked along the path in silence, enjoying each other's presence and the refreshing night sky.

Sally was the first one to speak, "You're going to have to ask my father at some point you know. You can't just put it off."

Sonic moved his gaze from the sky down to Sally's eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Sonic, don't act like you don't know."

"You know it's funny."

"What is?"

"The fact that both of us have always felt so strongly about each other, but we are only just realizing it now?"

"How is that funny?"

"I am just saying, good things don't happen over night even if we wish they did."

Sally stared at him blankly for a while then averted her gaze, "You still didn't answer my question."

"Sally I would go talk to him tomorrow if it made you happy," Sonic said sincerely, "That is so long as you're there with me."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sally said with a smile.

As they continued along the path in silence again, Sonic couldn't help but think about how he had kissed Amy. That decision was now tearing up his insides, and he wanted more than anything to tell Sally. _She will never forgive me if I tell her now. If I wait until after I ask Ally will it be to late to tell her?_

"Sally," Sonic began, "I have something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Sonic paused a moment, letting the crickets in the bushes near by fill the silence, "I am probably going to have to leave early again tomorrow."

He couldn't do it, he couldn't tell her or at least not now.

"I figured as much," Sally said with a sigh. "When are you going to give this life up, Sonic?"

"When Robotnik is seven feet under the ground," Sonic replied smugly.

"If you want 'us' to work, you are going to have to stop risking your life every day."

"Sally, if I don't who will? I couldn't handle it to see anyone take my place and meet their fate."

"I can't stand not knowing if you will ever come back the next day. Do you know what it's like to wonder if the person you love is going to come back to you tomorrow?"

They both paused as they had now reached Sally's front door. Sonic turned to her and said, "Sally I risk my life every day so that I know I can see you tomorrow."

As Sonic turned to leave Sally grabbed his hand. "Don't think you're getting off that easy."

Sonic turned back, hoping for a better explanation.

"Sonic, I don't want to spend the rest of the night by myself thinking about tomorrow, I want to spend it with you."

Sonic reached out for Sally and pulled her into his arms while he whispered in her ear, "Sally if you spend your whole life worrying about tomorrow you will never enjoy today."


	23. Chapter 23 Full Circle

If you read this chapter before any of the others, you will SPOIL the entire story. Just a friendly warning.

* * *

They had spent the entire morning traveling, everything they did to risk getting into this room came down to this.

Both Tails and Sonic stood near the window on the opposite side of the room as General Simmons walked through the door to his makeshift apartment. The bright light that shone through the windows cast long shadows on the floor as Tails and Sonic cautiously watched his entry into the room.

It didn't take long for him to notice them, but he remained calm despite their presence in his room. He let the door shut behind him before he spoke.

"I was under the impression that Dr. Kintobor had exterminated the rest of your kind," he said with nearly no emotion at all.

"I am sorry you have been misinformed," Tails replied with an equal lack of expression.

"Would you mind telling me what you are doing here?"

Sonic began to approach the General disc in hand, but Simmons went for his side arm. Sonic paused as he was now staring down the barrel of what he assumed was a loaded gun. He kept his cool, it wouldn't have been the first time someone pointed a gun at him.

Simmons spoke first, "I may have taken an oath never to harm another human, but I assure you that you do not qualify."

"General Simmons," Sonic said, "We are here to help and we mean you no harm at all."

"Help! Ha! We don't need help from the likes of you."

"I assure you that you do sir," Sonic said as he presented the disc in his hand.

"What could you possibly have to offer?"

Tails spoke this time, "Sir you and all of your people are in extreme danger and we need you to listen."

Simmons lowered his gun, but did not holster it.

"This sounds like it is more of your problem than mine."

"Sir," Sonic began. "While the problem will inevitably become ours, the situation is far more grave for you and your friends."

The genuine sincerity in Sonic's voice seemed to have resonated with the General as his facial expressions switched slowly from proud and in control to slightly concerned.

I assume that this has something to do with what's on that disc," Simmons said as he glanced at the shiny object in Sonics hand.

"Yes Sir it does," Tails began, "You haven't been subjected to any test recently have you? More specifically any medically related tests?"

"No. What does that have to do with anything?"

"See for your self," Sonic said as he handed the disc to a very weary General Simmons.

Simmons shuffled backwards across the room towards his terminal, not taking his eyes off either of them. He had trouble as he tried to operate the computer while keeping both eyes on the intruders

Tails began to approach the terminal were Simmons was standing while saying "Let me help you with that Sir."

The General handed the disk back off to Tails who promptly inserted the disc into the computer.

"The files you are going to want to read are in the folder SMASH," Tails said as he backed away towards the windows again.

The General sat down at the terminal, still anxious over the presence of Sonic and Tails behind him. After checking over his shoulder one last time he clicked through the files until he found the one the talking two-tailed fox had indicated he should look at.

Both Sonic and Tails waited patiently for the general to read and make sense of what was on the disc. After no more than two minutes he spun around in his chair, gun in hand. He aimed it Sonic again and asked furiously, "How do I know you are not setting us up? How do I know this is all real? How did you get this information?"

Trying to remain calm, Sonic answered his questions in order, "Ask your self, do you think we are setting you up, or do you think its just a coincidence that Butnik has been trying very hard to impress you? The information came from his computer, it was given to us by Snively."

"Snively…Butnik?"

"Your not up on names around here are you?"

Tails interrupted Sonic to explain, "You know Snively as Colin," Tails said, "He gave us the information, because as you can see the plans include him as a subject, and as for Butnik, Dr. Kintobor likes to refer to himself as Dr. Robotnik."

"Names aside, this still doesn't make any sense, why would he betray us? Why make us his slaves? He has done nothing but help us so far."

"Apparently you have no idea who you're dealing with. He once betrayed us too but that was after he betrayed you the first time. Although his version of enslavement for us was a bit different than what he has planned for you." Sonic said.

"What do you mean?" Simmons responded as he lowed and holstered his gun.

"We always assumed the reason you left was because you were holding up your end of the bargain but that wasn't true was it?" Sonic asked.

"No," Simmons said hesitantly, "We left because we could find no way to reverse the radiation, and with our resources dwindling, we needed to find a new place to live."

Tails spoke this time, "What if we told you that Project Purity, the radiation treatment you had begun to develop, wasn't a failure? It was sabotaged and made to look like a failure by the person you are now taking help from. He stole all the work and saved it for himself, while all of you left the planet."

"That's impossible! How do you know about Project Purity?"

Seeing the look of utter disbelief on Simmons' face Tails added, "It's on the disk too."

Simmons paused for a moment trying to take everything in. Suddenly, he shot up right, reaching for his gun again. This time however, it was clear he had a different target in mind as he headed for the door.

Sonic yelled, "Stop, you can't do that!"

Simmons turned around, enraged to his core and shouted "AND WHY NOT?"

"What about your oath?" Sonic said, thinking back to what Simmons had said earlier.

"That Oath was designed to protect us from each other, I will gladly break it to save my people, no matter the consequences."

"If you want your people to live you need to listen to us. If you try to kill him he will trap you here. He has entire armies of robots, even if you were to fight, you could not win."

Still furious Simmons roared, "THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? SIT HERE UNTIL HE COMES TO BRAIN WASH ME?"

"Actually," said Tails, "That's exactly what we want you to do, but only after you come with us."

"Are you out of your mind, I can't let him put that thing in me," Simmons whimpered as he frantically pointed at the screen with his gun.

"If you come with us we can help you, you just need to listen."

Simmons was clearly no longer in a mood to listen, as he was now pacing back and forth across the room waving his gun around. Tails couldn't imagine the pressure he was dealing with. He was responsible for everyone and he had only somehow managed to get all of them in more trouble.

Tails carefully approached him seeing as he was twice his size and waving a gun around. When he was finally close enough Tails reached out and placed a hand on Simmons' arm.

Simmons stopped and looked down at the fox with a newfound respect. Seeing that Simmons was now capable of listening Tails continued, "We need you to come with us. We are going to give you something that will destroy the machine that will give you the implant. Once that's done, the risk of Robotik controlling you will be temporarily eliminated. After that, we can get all of your people out of here."

"Why do I need to come with you, can't you just give it to me now…why can't we just go destroy it?"

"We don't know where it is and even if we destroyed then he would know that someone was on to him. The best way is to make it look like it broke on its own. Its an EMP based device, but its not done. It will be ready by the time we get back."

"And I am just supposed to trust you?

"I know its hard believe given our history…"

"Haha," Simmons laughed in response to Tails statement, "History! I am not all that great at judging the age of your kind, but to me you look like just a kid. You haven't got the faintest idea what that word means. Asking me to truest you is asking me to trust a known enemy."

Sonic could see Tails clench his fist in response to the Generals statements. Tails disliked nothing more than being called a kid. Given his level of intelligence it was hard to picture him as a kid. Tails had spent nearly his entire life doing adult things it was clear he had abandoned the notion of being a child long ago.

"B-but we really are here to help," Tails said desperately.

"If everything you have said is true, then I have no choice to trust you," Simmons said as he crossed his arms.

"Also, there is someone who would like to talk with you that you may remember as well."

"Who would that be?"

"I think you already know who I am talking about Sir."

"Maximilian?"

Tails nodded.

"I can't believe he is still alive," Simmons said in amazement, "Regardless, how am I supposed to leave here without being noticed."

It was now time for Sonic to explain his contribution to the plan, "Simple sir, take a hovercraft. Tell Robotnik that you want to scout the surrounding area for some additions when you return with the rest of your fleet. He will be delighted to hear about your plans for homecoming, and gladly give you one. Take it and meet us 40 miles west of the City, we will be waiting for you there."

Simmons nodded, indicating that he understood.

Both Tails and Sonic turned to leave when he spoke again, "Why are you helping us?"

Sonic answered first, "Because no one deserves to be slaves. Whether you choose to believe it or not, we are not that different. We have had problems in the past, but its obvious we share the same one now, so we need to put all the other ones aside and help each other."

"Thank you" Simmons said softly, "If everything you said is true, we owe you more than you would ever know."

It was odd to see such a proud man come full circle and genuinely thank them. Sonic nodded and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door he called out, "We will be waiting, don't take too long."


	24. Chapter 24 Priority

Sorry for the delay again, I am at E3 and will be until Friday. I will do my best to speed up the updates after that. Until then Enjoy! Also don't forget to review if you like the story/chapter :) Thanks!

* * *

Simmons watched as the blue hedgehog and two-tailed fox exited the room. He sat down un-easily in the chair facing his terminal. _Could all this be true, _Simmons thought to himself, _Why would they risk so much to tell me this if there wasn't something in it for them. _ _If I am going through with any of this I am going to need a bit more reassuring._

With a few keystrokes Simmons was pouring over the rest of the data on the disc. What became abundantly clear was that Dr. Kintobor was in fact insane. _But would if this is what they want me to think._ Remembering what the fox had said he clicked back up a few directories in the files and began to look for Project Purity.

To his surprise upon opening the files, not only was all of the original data there, but also the finished research. _Their story is starting to add up more and more, there is no denying that. However, they could have gotten all of this off any old computer we left behind, I have to go into this both eyes open. Why do they want to help us, if that is in fact what they are trying to do?_

Glancing over the remainder of the disk, Simmons found a folder called Priority. _This seems like its worth a check. _Strangely the contents only listed three profiles, one for a blue hedgehog named Sonic, another for a two-tailed fox named Tails, and lastly a princess Sally Acorn.

Sonic as it turns our had a striking resemblance to the hedgehog that was just in the room, and if he had to guess there could not be too many two-tailed foxes around. _So just who are these guys and why is Julian keeping tabs on them._ Sonic was listed as a priority one threat, while the other two were listed as secondary threats. _Wow the doctor sure has a lot of data on this guy. Hmph,it says he is capable of running at speeds well in excess of the speed of sound… yeah right. He has data dating all the way back to the day this Sonic fellow was five, has he really been after him that long? Julian even infiltrated their organization, which is how he got most of the information on these three. This must have been what the hedgehog was talking about. Julian went to them with the illusion that he wanted to help, but he stabbed them in the back. These three were among some of the few to escape the city after the coup._

Digging deeper into Sonics file only led him into twisted mind of Julian Kintobor even further. _Robiticization? He turned them into robots? So that's what he meant by enslavement. And now he has this planned for us. So he is going to use us with our superior numbers and intellect to fight them. We won't even have a choice. He will throw us at them like we are expendable. Well at least that explain explains why this is both our problems. _

General Simmons wasn't in the habit of falling into traps, but he had to admit this would have taken a lot of work to put together. _Project Purity, so many detailed files, this looks about as real as it gets, but I am still not one hundred percent convinced. _

Simmons pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. _If this is all true Colin will know something, after all he is on the list of subjects. _Simmons walked out the door of his room and over to the elevator. He could hear the motor whiring inside as it pulled the car back up to the top floor. Upon its arrival he stepped in and patiently waited for it to arrive at the ground floor.

The trip to the top of the tower across the street seemed to only take seconds. His mind was too focused and alert to be aware of time. As he exited the elevator he veered right towards Dr. Kintobor's office. He could see the unusually round man where he usually was, at his desk typing away at his terminal. Simmons approached his desk but the doctor remained unaware of his presence, clearly too engrossed in his work. He cleared his throat rather loudly to announce his presence. The doctor turned around slightly bewildered by his company.

"Ahh, General! You must excuse me, I am not used to having so many guests as you could imagine. As I already told you, the parts will be done tomorrow. However, while you're here I would like you to see what I am working on," Robotnik said as he motioned to his screen.

Simmons peered of the doctor's large shoulders at the glowing screen. It was lit up with all types of diagrams and schematics, the likes of which he could never read. One thing that was obvious however, was that what ever he was working was for their space shuttles.

"What is this Doc?"

"This would be a new propulsion system for your shuttles. I understand it took you in the neighborhood of 10 years to get here. This new system, if correctly retrofitted will allow you to make you return journey in just weeks."

Simmons stared blankly at the screen as he pondered, _this was either the best gift I have received in my life, or simple way to speed up the arrival of Dr. Kintobor's new army_. He just wished he could have known whether this was because the doctor truly cared or because he wanted to enslave them all that much sooner.

"This is amazing, where did you find time to develop this technology?" Simmons replied, doing his best to sound genuinely grateful and interested.

"Well when you have as much free time as I do, you find the time to develop a lot of new things. I have had this technology just sitting around for a few years, but I haven't ever found anything to apply it to until now."

"I take it you could have these upgrades made in time for a launch later this week?"

"Yes, upgrades are being made to your ships as we speak."

Simmons didn't approve of anyone modifying his ships without his permission, but he was going to have to make an exception this time.

"Excellent! There is something else I came here for, however."

"Oh, and how may I help the great General Simmons today?" Robotnik said in an overly respectful voice.

"I would like to borrow a hovercraft. I have spent the last little bit of my visit thinking that some time on a planet could do our people some good. I want to explore the grass lands to the west of the city and survey the area for some housing."

"Of course, of course! It delights me to hear that you will be returning. If you leave me with your plans I can have everything built before you return."

_Just as the hedgehog suspected he is more than willing… no he is happy to give me a hovercraft. But that isn't unusual is it? He is only trying to help!_

"Oh, that's very kind of you doctor!"

"Well, let me get you that hovercraft," Robotnik said as he turned around to his terminal and bellowed, "Sniv…Colin, I need you!"

An unenthusiastic "Yes, Sir," sounded out of the speaker in response.

Robotnik turned around and sarcastically said, "Good help is hard to come by."

Simmons chuckled a little. He could hear the quick foot steps of Colin approaching from behind him.

"Sir, you needed me," Snively said as he stood at attention in front of the Doctor.

"Yes. Please take Simmons to a hovercraft and give him a crash course in piloting. Hurry back when you are done."

"Right away, Sir. If you will, General, please follow me."

Simmons followed Snively into the elevator. They both remained silent for the entire ride, creating an awkward moment for the two of them.

_Does he know,_ Simmons thought, _Why wouldn't he tell me if he did? Is he in on it? Were these elevators bugged? _Simmons wanted nothing more than to shout out everything that was wrong with his current situation but he held his tongue.

As they walked along the dusty street outside of the doctor's tower, Simmons finally spoke, "What of this Sonic fellow?"

Snively raised an eyebrow before responding, "What of him, he is a local pest. How did you hear about him?"

"I may have run into him the other day, I was just curious."

"Yes, he is one of the few rodents that has eluded the doctors grasp. He has caused us more setbacks than any thing or anyone else."

"Is that why he is your number one priority," Simmons asked

"Yes," Sinvely responded eying Simmons up and down out of curiosity now, "and how did you know that."

Simmons was walking on thin ice now and he knew it, but he needed to know whose side Colin was on. _If I ask anything more directly I may alert him that I know of their plan. What can I ask without giving everything away?_

"I just assumed. Why do you put up the Doctor bossing you around like this? It isn't because he is bigger than you is it?"

"Ha," Snively snorted, "that would only be half the problem. He promised me so much…so much, but in the end I have been reduced to his lackey. He has too much power and control now for me to do anything about him."

"Aye, but at least you still have your mind, he can't ever take that away from you."

Snively stopped in his tracks. It took Simmons a moment to notice that he had stopped. When he turned around Snively stood there staring at him.

Snively was quick to ask, "How do you know?"

_Have I gone to far? That was a little obvious I guess. I better play dumb anyway._

"Know what?"

"Don't play coy with me General, this is a serious matter!"

Simmons hadn't ever seen Snively this worked up. It was obvious that he knew about the plans, and even likely that he was not happy about them, otherwise he would have kept his mouth shut.

"Our mutual friend had a conversation with me."

"The hedgehog? Hmm."

"Should I trust him?" Simmons asked.

"I suppose. There isn't anyone better at ruining the Doctor's plans. Do what he says and I'll keep the doctor off of our back. However, as I am sure you know it would not be good if anyone else found about this."

"Which is precisely the reason I have told no one. I am still very unsure of who can be trusted at this point, but that is something that I will have to decide on as I go along."

"I can understand your confusion. Robotnik was my mentor for years and now he turns on me. He only uses people. He cares for no one. Trust me when I say that!"

Snively walked up to the hanger door and held it open for Simmons to walk through. Upon entering Simmons took a moment to soak in the sheer size of the building he was standing in. It was nearly a whole city block in length and completely lined with hovercrafts. It was as if the Doctor was ready for an invasion.

"Now these hovercraft were designed for robots to fly, but the Controls are very easy," Snively said if their previous dialog had not just happened. "If you have any past piloting experience you shouldn't have a problem," Snively said as he walked up to the craft closest to the hanger door. He promptly unlatched the door and indicated for Simmons to climb in.

Simmons hadn't seen too many hovercrafts like this one before. It was an oblong round object with a large windshield. Nonetheless he scampered up the latter and into one of two seats. Snively followed him up and sat in the seat next to him.

"Now you can see you have your standard joystick that controls pitch and yaw. Over here you have your elevation and speed control. This machine practically flies itself so don't let it scare you. I can even input your destination and the autopilot will fly you there if you like."

"That sounds acceptable."

With a few button presses Snively got up and exited the craft. As he closed the door behind him he nodded. That was all Simmons needed to see. With that he knew that not only was Snively on his side, but the fury little woodland creatures that had spoken to him not to long ago were not lying.

Simmons leaned back in his chair as the ship began to gain altitude. The large hanger doors in front of him slowly slid to the side allowing his craft to pass through. After that it was only a matter of time until he reached the grasslands to the west.


	25. Chapter 25 Courage

Simmons had to shield his eyes from the sun even though he was looking through the tinted glass of hovercraft cockpit. Sunglasses were something he hadn't worn since he last called earth home, it seemed funny that he missed them so much. The city seemed to be bathed in a perpetual darkness that was rarely disturbed, but out here in the grassy fields things were different, they reminded him of what earth used to be like.

Simmons could feel the craft slow down as it approached a large clearing. The grass out side was easily waist high with a mix of shrubs scattered about. The whining of the engines ceased when the landing gears touched the ground and a message alerted him on the console that he had reached his destination. Simmons reached over and unlatched the door and carefully stepped out into the small clearing covered with pebbles and twigs. He had no idea how he was going to find his new friends; he just hoped they were watching. _After all, how hard can one of these things be to spot,_ Simmons as he looked back at the odd shape of the craft he just stepped out over the grass, Simmons could see a road less than a quarter mile away. Deciding that there was no better place to walk he set off towards the road.

All at once it occurred to him that he should be checking his Geiger counter. While the area he was in was within what was considered to be the safe area and usually radiation free, there did tend to be some hot spots. He pulled the sleeve back on his uniform and glanced down at his watch, which doubled as a Geiger counter. They had given all military personnel Geiger counters so that they could avoid pockets of radiation while stationed away from the city. He hadn't ever imagined his coming in hand again.

When he stepped on to the road Simmons looked down in either direction, following the road till it turned out of sight. He hadn't been exposed to this much open space in far to long; it was a welcomed experience. Simmons leaned against a large rock just off to the side of the road to bide his time. _I wonder how long I am going to have to wait out here,_ Simmons thought as he closed his eyes. _What am I even doing out here? Talking to animals? _

_I have to stop questioning myself! I know what's at stake, but I need…_

"Glad you could join us General," a voice said from in front of him.

Simmons opened his eyes to find the cobalt blue hedgehog standing before him.

"Sonic is it?" Simmons responded.

"Yes, but I don't recall introducing my self before."

"Lets just say your reputation precedes you."

"Tails, was he followed?" Sonic called out over his shoulder.

After a brief rustling in the bushes the same two tailed fox emerged holding some sort of hand held radar device.

"No Sonic, not from what I can tell," Tails replied

"And you must be Tails. A fitting name none the less."

"Yes Sir, that's me. How exactly did you come across that information?"

"Well it seems that you two are on Dr. Kintobor's naughty list."

"Ah, so you looked through the disk a bit more then?" Tails asked

"I did indeed. I must say I may not have been so quick to believe you without it."

After a slight pause in the conversation Sonic interjected, "I don't mean to be the party pooper, but we got to get moving."

"Right," Tails responded, "General, if you will follow me."

Simmons watched as the fox turned around and headed back into the grass. He slowly pushed himself away from the rock he was leaning against and followed Tails. Being nearly a two feet taller than the young fox allowed him to follow at a distance without fear of getting lost in the grass. It wasn't long before he figured out they were heading for what looked to be like a big rock over two miles in the distance.

However, as he got closer it was apparent that what he originally thought was a rock, was in fact something else. A large tarp covered what he could only assume was a plane. Sure enough as Tails pulled off the large cover, a bright red bi-plane was revealed. Looking at the tracks leading from where the plane sat Simmons could see another road less than 100 feet away, which was no doubt the make shift run way they had used.

As the Tails folded up the tarp Simmons walked around the plane and inspected it, he hadn't seen anything that used technology this old in a long time. The plane was a decent size, or at least big enough for him to fit into. The build quality seemed top notch down to every detail.

"Did you build this yourself?"

"Yes Sir, I did. I used drawings from some of your older planes to build it, making some improvements of course."

"Why a prop plane? This technology is thousands of years old, in fact I have never even seen one before."

"Because this suited our needs better. A prop plane has instantaneous thrust response, which even the best model jets you designed don't. Not to mention jet fuel is very hard to come by where as the fuel used in this plane can literally be grown."

Simmons walked up to the front of the plane and tapped on one of the propellers with knuckle producing a dull thud.

"And you can fly this?" Simmons said with curiosity.

"Of course!" Tails responded slightly annoyed.

The fox now climbed up the latter with the tarp in hand. After he stowed it away, he produced a pair of leather goggles and a headset, which he then held out for Simmons to grab.

"C'mon General we need to get moving if we are going to get you back in a reasonable amount of time."

Simmons walked over to the foot holdings in the plane and pulled himself up and into the co-pilot seat. He reached over and grabbed the flight gear from Tails and put it on. Surprisingly the leather goggles fit comfortably around his head. The seat was slightly cramped, most likely having been designed for someone smaller.

The fox wasted no time. Before Simmons even had time to fasten his straps, Tails had started the engines. The roar they produced was near defining to him until he put on his headset. He still had reservations about a talking two-tailed fox flying a planewith him in it. _I don't even know how old he is._

Simmons moved his mic in place over his mouth and said, "Tails?"

"Yes Sir?" Tails answered.

"I never got a chance to ask before. Just how old are you?"

As Tails maneuvered the plane into the center of the road he responded, "Just turned fifteen."

Simmons gulped. He had to correct himself; a fifteen-year-old talking two tailed fox was now going to be flying a plane with him in it.

As Tails was checking all his instruments Sonic appeared at by the planes side.

"I guess we will be racing this time Tails." Sonic said

"Your on!" Tails responded as he jammed the throttle all the way forward.

Simmons grabbed the side of the plane and held on for dear life. The plane jumped forward with more acceleration than Simmons anticipated. The entire plane shook as it rocketed down the runway. Simmons wasn't sure weather he should close his eyes or not, but he could not help but stare at the blue hedgehog now running past them, backwards none the less. Simmons eased up a bit as the plane left the ground and the shaking stopped.

When they were what seemed like 10,000 feet Simmons asked, "So how fast is he?"

"Sonic?" Tails said, "We are not really sure. However, I can tell you that he will win the race."

"His file said he can run faster than the speed of the sound?"

"And then some" Tails added.

"How is that possible?"

"No one knows, but he has been able to do it since he was a kid."

"And what about you? Two tails, and you can build and fly planes… at the age of fifteen."

"I am not sure how I got two tails, my parents said I was born that way. Ever since I was 10 I have been working on machinery and as for flying, nothing has ever come more natural to me."

Simmons leaned back in the cockpit and shut his eyes. _At this point I am either a dead man, or I am flying with one of the best pilots this planet has ever seen so I may as well get some sleep. _

Simmons wasn't sure how long he was asleep for, but he didn't like what he awoke to.

"General Simmons, you're going to want to hold on. We have one of Robotnik's drones following us." Tails said over the microphone as veered into a steep banked turn.

Simmons quickly tightened up the straps on his seatbelt and gripped the side of the plane for support.

"What's going on?" Simmons asked through is his slightly groggy voice.

"We have a combat drone following us."

"Did it follow me?"

"No, Robotnik never would have sent one of these to follow you. It was probably just patrolling this area.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I am not sure yet sir."

Simmons looked down at the array of devices in front of him. The radar showed an enemy fighter less and a quarter mile behind them and closing fast.

"Can we out run him?"

"No, we can't let him follow us."

Simmons frowned as a missile lock flashed across the HUD on his screen.

"Tails are you aware…"

"Yes I am! Don't worry."

_Worry I am well past that, I am terrified, _Simmons though as he looked down at the radar again just in time to se two little dot depart from the bigger red dot.

"Tails, are these little red dots…"

"Yes they are."

"Okay I just wondering," Simmons said in bewildered voice.

Simmons went back to watching the radar, which now showed the missiles closing at 700 feet per second. Without warning Tails put the plane into an incredibly steep nosedive. Simmons wasn't sure what to do or think, but he was pretty sure he wanted cry. He only felt worse when he saw the foxes ears disappear from above the seat in front of him. He cautiously leaned forward, trying to ignore the approaching ground, only to find the Tails rummaging around under his seat. The fox sat upright again after he found what he was looking for.

"Is that a…"

"Road flare? Yes it is."

Simmons was sure they weren't more than 1500 feet of the ground when the fox did the unthinkable; he shut off the engines. When the altimeter in front of him read 800 feet we was thrown into the back of his seat as the plane level out. He looked up in time to see Tails toss the now ignited road flare out on to the ground just 50 feet bellow them. Simmons sat up in his seat and turned to watch both of the missiles slam into the ground. He could feel the heat of the ensuing fireball on his face.

Simmons back down in his chair and sighed loudly.

"We are not out of trouble yet," Tails said, "The drone will not make that mistake twice. Those were heat-seeking missiles, the next ones will not be."

Tails was nearly cut of by a series of loud reports as the drone opened fire with it's machine gun. Simmons could see the bullets trailing behind them as they hit the ground while Tails banked steeply to the right avoid the incoming fire. When Tails pulled out of the drones firing range, Simmons examined the plane for holes and to his surprise found only one at the vey end of the wing, which didn't seem to affect the plane's ability to stay in the air.

Simmons quickly looked back down at the radar to see the drone still on their tail. Simmons could hear the engine roar to life again as Tails brought it up to speed and quickly climbed up several thousand feet. Simmons looked behind the plane again; he could barely make out the drone with his naked eye. He could however make out two tiny puffs of smoke and a red glare. He turned back to the radar to see two tiny green dots now hurtling towards the green dot at the center of the screen.

"Tails they are…"

"Green, yes I know," Tails added as he handed Simmons a funny looking hand grenade, "Pull the pin out and give it a good throw in the air when they turn red."

Simmons examined the device in his hand, which had the makings of a hand grenade but with a lot more wires. He carefully pulled the pin out and glanced back at the radar only to find that the two missiles had already turned red on the screen. Worried that I may already be to late Simmons quickly heaved the small device over his head. Just as he did Tails pulled back on the stick and made a nearly vertical climb. Simmons looked over his shoulder, again just in time to see yet another spectacular explosion.

Tails continued his climb while inverting the plane. Simmons looked up, or what would have been up had the plane not been up side down, and stared down at their metallic opponent. Tails seemed to be doing the same. As the plane began to stall, Tails pulled out of the climb and turned it back into a dive. They were heading straight for the drone.

_If that thing fires any missiles we are done, what is this kid doing?_

Simmons glanced over Tails' chair to see a crosshair on his HUD with a range finder ticking down faster that he could keep track of. He could see the fox already had his thumb resting on what he assumed was the trigger. Without warning two loud _**cracks**_ caused Simmons to jump in place and the drone in front of them exploded into a fireball. Tails leveled out before they traveled through the explosion themselves.

"You can breath now General Simmons," Said Tails over the mic.

Simons was speechless, none of his pilots could come close to pulling off the maneuvers this fox had just done. _He isn't even flying in modern plane. Any of my pilots would scoff at the idea of flying in one of these. _

"What exactly did you do back there lad?" Simmons asked.

"The first set of missiles were heat seekers and I entered into a nose dive so that when I cut the engines I would still have enough speed to fly the plane. Plus when I toss the flair, the missiles just follow it into the ground."

"Why was turning off the engine necessary?"

"It cuts the heat signature of the plane by 75% so the missiles follow the flair instead of us."

"What about that grenade you gave me?"

"It wasn't a grenade per say, it was an electromagnet. The second set of missile track magnetic objects, which is why they had to travel over half the distance between the drone and us before they armed. We just gave the missiles a bigger magnet to follow."

"And what did you use to blow that thing up?"

"Oh. I used the only weapons on this plane, twin .50 cal auto canons. We got them off of your vehicles actually."

"Is that why you had to get so close?"

"Yes, they have a limited effective range, but the tungsten rounds that are used means I only have to fire one-shot from each canon to get a clean kill."

Simmons nodded even though he new Tails couldn't see him. While he himself had not lived through the war that brought about the end of mankind, he knew that pilots that had fought in the war had relied on machines to much. _Perhaps if one side had more pilots like him more us would be left standing,_ Simmons thought as he was mustering up the courage to tell the younglad that he was in fact the best pilot he had ever seen.


	26. Chapter 26 Dreams

_Hello everyone! It has been a while! To any of the people who subscribe to this story I would like to thank you, without you support I would not have gotten this far. I would also like to apologize for taking such a long break. I have had an interesting summer so to speak. However, now I am returning to school where I will hopefully have more time to work on this story. Due to wanting to get back into things so quickly this chapter is not what I had pictured, but rather a quick substitute to get things going again. Some of it is drawn out or over to quickly. Again my apologies for taking over two months to get this going again, but hopefully I will get back on track again. _

_Cheers,_

Tails gently set the plane down on the runway. Simmons hadn't said a word to him for over an hour. He wasn't sure whether he had fallen asleep again or not, but given their recent encounter with getting shot out of the air Simmons wasn't likely to let his attention slip anymore.

"I take it that we have arrived," Simmons finally said over the COM as the plane rolled into the hanger.

Tails nodded his head in reply.

"It's been a while since I was last here, but I don't recall the trees being that big."

"We grew them a little higher to hide our city," Tails said in reply.

When the plane finally came to a complete stop, Tails cut the engine and hopped out of the plane. Simmons showed that his demeanor was largely unchanged even given his recent brush with death. Simmons' age began to show as he carefully let himself down the side of the plane.

"I am sorry for the rough ride Sir, I hadn't expected to run into any trouble," Tails said doing his best to look apologetic.

"It's quite alright Tails, we are still in one piece and that is all that counts."

"Just give me one moment to get the Tornado secured."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Simmons asked.

"No Sir, I'll just be a moment."

Simmons stood there as if was about to speak, hesitated for a moment then said, "Tails, you do not have to address me as Sir, I am not your commanding officer and if you still feel strongly about it, know that I am giving you permission not to. Flying with you today was an honor. I wish I could say that my own pilots had your skill."

Tails stared back at him searching for words to reply with. As much as it looked like it pained the General to say those things, Tails knew he was being sincere. Tails was used to compliments from Sonic and the rest of the freedom fighters, but those were more customary. _How do I thank him for that? No one has ever given me that much praise before._

"General Simmons, I am not really sure how to thank you, but at the very lest let me say I appreciate you giving me… all of us the chance to help you."

The general smiled down at the kit as he walked over towards the hanger door.

Tails hurried to fix things up. After putting the wheel blocks in place, he decided that the rest could be taken care of later.

As Tails walked out the door he could see Sonic introducing Sally to the general who graciously shook her hand.

"Hey little buddy, what kept you?"

"We ran into some trouble…"

"And it was nothing this lad couldn't handle," the General said as he put a firm hand on Tails back.

"That's Tails! He has got an eye for adventure," Sonic chuckled.

Tails laughed as convincingly as he could along with him. Tails enjoyed his fair share of adventures, but he never went out of his way looking for them, especially the ones that could end with his death.

"Greetings General," Nicole said as she appeared in front of Simmons.

The general stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Simmons, this is Nicole, our resident AI, although we like to think of her more as a person," Sally said as she cheerfully introduced the new face.

"I see. I have never seen anything this advanced. How did you develop the technology to do this?"

"We didn't," Sally answered, "Nicole was somewhat of a gift but she still is very insistent on keeping the giver a secret."

"You haven't tried to replicate this technology?"

"We have only needed one of her and well, we haven't had anyone to share it with. On top of that Nicole's original design was so advanced we were too afraid to take her apart for fear of breaking her."

"Original Design? You mean she wasn't always like this?"

"No, she used to be just a computer."

"Then who made all of the upgrades?"

"She did all of this herself."

"Amazing! An AI with creativity and self image."

"Thank you sir," Nicole responded, "But I must remind you that the king is expecting you and we have very little time."

"Of course, lead the way."

Simmons had not been in such a peaceful place in far to long. The gentle wind combined with mingling rays of sun created an intoxicating atmosphere; one that he feared he may never experience again. The trees were nearly a half a city block wide, easily taking up as much space as a skyscraper. It was truly marvelous to walk among such giants. The small pond off to his left was filled with the water that was so fresh he swore he could smell it. It crystal blue surface was a color so deep and rich he wasn't sure he could produce words to describe it. Simmons was quite sure he had found heaven on earth.

He admired their preservation of the land; no large-scale cities defaced such a beautiful place. Even the castle at the center of everything seemed to blend into the landscape taking nothing away from its appearance.

"You live in a truly beautiful place," Simmons said.

When no one responded he continued, "I had always dreamed of building a house in a place like this… but those were just dreams."

No one had the courage to break the general's gaze as he walked through the castle gate. What all of them had taken for granted their entire life seemed to mesmerize Simmons. Even the guard refrained from asking his normal series of questions, although that may have been from the shock of seeing an overlander.

It was not until they were inside the King chambers that he spoke again "Only in our fairy tales do places like this exist."

"I assure you this is no fairy tale," the King replied while sitting at his chair at the end of the long oak table."

"No, it would seem quite the contrary. Despite the cheerful scenery I seem to be living in a nightmare," Simmons said as he walked over to the king.

The King slowly rose to his feet and greeted the general with an out stretched hand.

"It's been a long time Simmons and I dare say you have aged more than five years."

"Maximilian. The last time I saw you I was resting in a pool of my own blood but in all honesty time has not treated you as fairly, you look twice as old."

Sonic wasn't sure how this meeting was supposed to go down, but the introductions were a bit different than he anticipated. To his surprise the king began to chuckle, "No I suppose it hasn't. By my count you should be close to dead now. Care to explain?"

"Well all I can really say on the subject is that you will need to ask someone more intelligent than I about what we call the theory of relativity."

The King stared blankly back at him, "I see. Regardless come sit, I insists, old enemies are as welcome as old friends."

This time it was the general who chuckled, "Spoken like someone who has truly inherited wisdom."

"I do my best to learn from the past and what I can only assume to be the future," the King said as he glanced over at Sonic, Sally and Tails. "Perhaps the three of you could give the general and I some time alone, we have much to discuss."

Sonic looked blankly at the King. _After all of my work rescuing this guy and I don't even get to hear what he has to say. _Sonic looked over at Sally and Tails who shared similar looks of despair. One by one each of them somberly turned towards the door leaving the two old enemies in conversation.


	27. Chapter 27 Guilt

Sonic stumbled as he reached the first step to the command center. The thought had been trapped in the back of his mind, debating whether to tell her the truth. Nicole had warned him not to tell her, or at least not face-to-face, but any other way seemed cowardly to him. _How would Sally not understand? I shouldn't have to write her a letter to let her know I made mistake. _

The dark and dreary pathway wasn't helping him come to his senses either. He could faintly smell the lilac in Sally's hair through the musty smell of the passage. She was several steps in front of him and made no move to slow down to return to his side. Something told him she wanted the long walk to herself as much as he did. _Does she know something? _Rather than focus on thoughts that were going nowhere he sped up until he reached Sally's side.

"I was wondering when you were going to catch up," Sally said with a smile on her face.

Sonic didn't respond.

"Sonic, what's wrong? You have a sarcastic remark for everything."

A faint grin may have made its way across his face, but that was only his pride talking. Sally put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him, "You haven't said one word to me since you have been home today, what's wrong?" Sally asked in calm demanding voice.

"Nothings wrong, just not funny today I guess."

"Not funny? Sonic whether you're funny or not has nothing to do with it. You haven't even made an attempt, let alone go beyond greeting me."

The more questions she asked, the harder it would be to explain himself, but he couldn't bring himself to mouth the words.

"Sonic, I have watched you mock Dr. Robotnik while staring face in the death, but you can't talk to me now," Sally said through a what sounded like a sob.

He knew this wasn't going to end well no matter what he did. If he told her she would be angry, if he continued to say nothing she would cry, and if he lied she would find out. Without thinking things all the way through he blurted out, "I kissed Amy."

Sally folded her arms and paused before asking, "You, kissed Amy?"

He knew he couldn't unsay it, so he just nodded his head in reply.

"I was under the impression that you didn't like her, and now you're kissing her?"

"No I don't like her I…"

"Then what reason could you possibly have for kissing her?"

"I did it for you, for us…"

Before he could even finish his sentence or explain to her how it meant nothing he felt the cold sting of Sally's hand across his face. He had seen it coming, he could have moved, but he chose to remain still. Perhaps he had said the wrong thing first, or perhaps he shouldn't have said anything at all.

"How could you kiss her in my name?"

Sonic called out to Sally as she walked through the bulkhead, only to be cut off the sound of it slamming shut as she walked through.

* * *

"To be honest, we were expecting to have problems when we arrived here, but nothing like this," the General began as he sat down in a chair across from the King.

"Can I offer you a drink?" the King replied while waving his hand in the air.

Before he could respond a crimson drink was set in front of him. Whine was a luxury that had long since been forgotten. He raised the glass in thanks and took a sip. The bittersweet taste was like nothing he had ever expierienced, _No doubt some of their finer whine,_ he thought.

The General set his glass down and continued, "When we arrived here at Earth, we were stunned to learn that there were still humans here and even more surprised to see they had built an entire city. Even if the majority of it is a pile of junk." After a brief pause he continued, "I must ask, how was it that two men came to outsmart an empire?"

"Through the doctors very best weapon, deceit. Perhaps you were made aware of your own betrayal. He doomed your entire race when he falsified the test results. Instead he remained behind after encouraging your people to flee into space in search of a new planet. He then used the real Project Purity to protect himself."

"I must say I never knew of his actions against usuntil earlier today. He was listed as deceased on our ship manifest, not something uncommon at the time. How is it that he fooled you once we were gone?"

"Naturally we explored the city when we saw you leave, only to find Doctor Kintobar and no one else. We found him in a sad state, beaten and mal -ourished. He claimed that he had been forced to stay behind and wanted nothing more than a place to stay. Seeing that he posed little threat we obliged and supported him and his work, which he claimed would help us expand our empire. It didn't take him long to earn our trust, but it took even less time for him to betray us. Using all of the resources we provided him he stormed our city with an army of combat drones. Only a handful of Mobians, including my daughter escaped captivity."

"And now he has used our city as a base for his operations?"

"Yes. It is thanks to Sonic that many of us are back here today. Had you come back not two years ago, and this would be a much grimmer tale."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is it that you brought me all the way here to tell me this?"

"Because the past is not what this meeting is about. I would like to make an agreement. It is inevitable that you and perhaps the remainder of your race will return here now that your know your project purity was not a failure. Given this, I would like to make arrangements on behalf of my kingdom so that we may never again fight as we once did."

With out hesitating the General replied, "You have my word. If my people and I live to return this planet, we will be more than grateful to you. What happened in the past is done, and I regret little else in my life. However, I would like to request that in the event of our return, our city returned to us and rights to a few other locations on the planet."

"Of course what was once yours shall remain yours. As for any other locations, we have had not had a chance to travel the world; we know little about what's outside of this city. We would only hope that we could share what is necessary for us both."

Upon seeing the general nod in agreement, the King backed himself away from his chair and approached him.

"If I am correct a handshake would leave us in agreement then."

The General smiled, "Of course."

Reaching out his hand Simmons could feel the frailty of the aging King, but the strength up his grip suggested otherwise.

When he releases his hand the King spared no time and turned toward the door behind him. "General, if you would follow me."

Confused, the General followed the King into his chambers.

"What I am about to show you," the King said as the door closed behind them both, "Is something that no one else living here is aware of, a secret that I request you take to the grave."

"Why are you showing it to me?"

The King walked up to a large dresser pulling on a cleverly discussed lever, opening a side panel on the adjacent wardrobe, which revealed a spiral staircase that fed into the depths of the castle. "Think of it as an olive branch, and a symbol of my trust."

They both descended into the darkness bellow. Carful not to lose his balance in the shadowy light, the general tested each step before planting his weight. Not more than thirty feet down he could see a shimmering light reflecting off the walls in the distance. The passage quickly widened into a dimly lit room with a golden pool of liquid at its center.

Confused the General asked, "What is it?"

"This, this is the source of all."

"What do you mean? This surely can't be where life came from"

"No, it is not, it is much more than that. It is pure energy with the very fabric of time woven into it."

General Simmons wasn't quiet sure how to respond to such a statement. "You mean it can tell you the future?"

"In a manner of speaking. Once you have bound with the source, it will give you a vibe as to what's to come. It will never tell you for sure what's to come, only hint at it with fleeting emotions."

Curious Simmons approached the pool.

"I should warn you General I will not stop you should you choose to bind your self to the source, but once you do, it is as much a curse as a blessing."

Simmons looked back over his shoulder at the King, "and why is that?"

"Should an ill moment be near in you future you will feel the tug of the emotion in advance. In troubled times it can make lesser men sick and depressed under the weight of the sensation. Conversely, it can breath new life into you should good fortune be forthcoming."

Simmons took a few more steps closer to the pool.

"You should also be aware that while you can feel the future you can not prevent it, only bend it."

"Bend it?"

"These emotions are tied to events that will occur, and while you can not prevent them, you can impact how the event will effect others. In the weeks prior to the invasion of our city I felt a sadness I could not describe. Fearing for the worst, I sent my family away. I never suspected Julian to be a traitor and my city still fell, but my family was saved. With out this… well I don't like to think about what could have happened with out this."

Simmons knelt at the service, examining himself in its reflection. _If even half of what the King said was true this would be invaluable. _ Reaching out for the surface he was interrupted one last time.

"This power will take time to hone, as you sort out your emotions from the ones provided by the source. It is only a power wieldable by a leader, someone who will know how to use it for his people."

Heeding the Kings last words of advice, the General plunged his hand into the golden liquid. At first he felt nothing, but slowly he felt something else enter his mind. All at once it burned inside of his head like white hot fire. Realizing that he had no control over his body, he stopped fighting it and let it over take him. The pain subsided and he fell backwards gasping for air.

Slowly he returned to his feet. "You could have mentioned the excruciating pain involved."

"A small sacrifice I assure you. It acts as more of a test for the worthy. Lesser men would have fought it or run away, but instead you showed faith and trusted the power within."

"How long am I going to feel like this?" Simmons said as he massaged is forehead.

"What you are feeling now, is what is to come. The pain you felt before last only as long as the binding process."

Simmons felt uneasy as he tried to cope with what seemed like the entire world dragging him down. He knew he had been warned, but somehow he hadn't imagined it like this. Slowly he staggered back to the stairs, sick with fear and what felt like guilt.


	28. Chapter 28 Four Perspectives Fading

Sorry for long update periods everyone. I have had to put this story on the backburner for a while. School and a full time job have my attention at the moment. I have however, made a vow to myself to finish this story in a semi timely fashion.

Cheers Everbody!

* * *

Sally sat in the corner of the room trying desperately to hold back sobs. The thought wouldn't leave her head. Like a bad movie playing over and over again, the telltale image of Sonic kissing Amy wouldn't stop replaying in her mind. Even if she hadn't seen it, it was as if she was there when it happened.

Through her teary eyes she could make out Nicole sitting on the chair next to her. She hadn't said anything yet, or even made a move. Sally picked her head up and rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

"You could have let him finish," Nicole said when it was obvious that she Sally's her attention.

"Let him finish!" Sally said through a sob, "There was nothing for him to finish."

"For how hasty you consider him with his decisions, I would have expected you at least hear him out. "

"Why would I want to hear his story? Why would I want to subject myself to it?"

"Perhaps there is a good reason for what he did. You let emotion overpower your actions, Sally."

"You don't know the first thing about emotio………" Sally stopped, but it was all to obvious what she said. "Nicole, I am sorry I didn't mean that."

"It's ok Sally. Besides your right, I don't know anything about emotion other than that they cloud judgment. The stronger they are the more we get attached to a certain mind set. "

"Why are you defending him? What do you know?"

"Don't you think he meant what he said, that he did it for you?"

"I think that in some twisted way he may think that is the case. Can't you stop answering my questions with questions and just tell me what you know."

"Very well. He never wanted to kiss her."

"And how could you know that?" Sally asked cutting off Nicole.

"I was there."

"Wait you where there? You saw them and you never told me."

"Sally he did it to prove he didn't like her. Amy asked him that if he was going to continue to ignore her, he at least needed to prove to her that he didn't like her in the least bit."

Sally began to breath slower as she realized what Nicole was saying.

"And she asked for a kiss" Sally said quietly, almost to herself. As crazy as it was she understood. The day she kissed Sonic she knew that he loved her every bit as much as she loved him. Perhaps Amy could feel what he felt for her by asking for a kiss.

"Amy hasn't spoken to him since," Nicole added.

"Which means she felt nothing, she knew that he didn't like her."

Sally sat there in the chair for a while. She wanted more than anything to be mad at him. _Perhaps Nicole was right maybe I was to hasty. _

Sally got up feeling slightly relieved. She walked over to the large metal door and unbolted it. Not that she was expecting to see Sonic waiting outside it still pained her staring into the emptiness.

* * *

Sitting on the cold stairs only went as well as one could expect after having been slapped by the one you love. Even through the walls Sonic could hear Sally's faint crying. Sure it wasn't his fault that she took it as harshly as she did, but he couldn't help but blame himself. He knew kissing her could never have been a good idea, but he just thought Sally would understand.

The damp musty air in the corridor began to eat away at his senses. He knew the longer he remained down here, listening to Sally's distant despair the worse he would feel. He slowly picked him self up off the bottom step and began to move out of the depths of the castle.

Sonic's mind jumped around carelessly from thought to thought, each one involved how he could have changed the last 20 minutes of his life. The loud snapping of someone fingers quickly brought his attention back to reality and he looked up to see the six and half foot walrus, Rotor.

"Sonic are you okay? You seem out of it."

"I don't want to talk about it," Sonic said as he walked past him.

"Alright, but I could use your help," Rotor replied

Sonic raised on eyebrow as he turn back to the walrus, "With what?"

"We need to brief the General on how to use this," Rotor said as he raised a tiny golden object into the air.

Sonic took a step closer to examine the item, "What is it?"

"Its an EMP tucked neatly into a cufflink. I knew I couldn't just give him an out of the ordinary object. This will blend if perfectly with his uniform."

Sonic was always amazed with Rotors ingenuity; nothing he did ever came up short.

"Pretty cool Rote," Sonic said as he turned to walk back towards the Great Room. He knew the King had asked for them to be left a lone, but he had a feeling the King would want to see Rotor. _Perhaps if I tag along I can listen in and take my mind off of a few things,_ Sonic thought to himself.

Sonic followed Rotor through the large wooden door only to see two half drunken glasses of wine sitting on the far end of the table. After glancing around the room for a moment Sonic asked, "Where did they go?"

"The King only told me that he would meet me here," Rotor said as continued towards the table.

Disappointed Sonic followed and slumped down in the first chair he cam across.

"Problems with Sally I assume," Rotor inquired from across the table.

Sonic lifted his gaze from the floor, "What makes you think that?"

"You are never like this. Even when half the city has been captured you are still headstrong. The only time you have ever been like this was when Robotnik captured Sally."

Even before Rotor said it, Sonic had already flashed back to the memory of Sally being carried off by a Swatbot. That memory still haunted his dreams. Since the Kings return Sally had not been let out of the city, less frequently, and to be honest Sonic was okay with that. While he may never tell her that, losing her again was not something he wanted to go through. He knew Rotor wasn't trying to make him feel bad, but simple fact was that he had lost her again, and unlike before he couldn't just run in and save her. She was his one weakness, and Robotink knew it. If he had control of her Sonic was powerless.

The sound of footsteps inside the Kings chamber caused both Rotor and Sonic to look over simultaneously. Eager to learn more they headed towards the sounds. The door swung open gently revealing the General with the King a few steps behind.

Rotor quickly began, "General Simmons, I am…"

Before Rotor could even finish his sentence Sonic had to move forward to catch the collapsing General. It required far more strength than he anticipated, as the overlander was denser than he imagined.

"What's wrong with him?" Sonic said as he struggled to lower him gently to the ground.

"The sedative I imagine," the King replied, "I put them in his whine.

"You what?" Rotor retorted rather loudly "Sire, I needed to brief him on this device, the entire mission depends on it."

"Yes indeed, a most unfortunate oversight on my part. However, we will simply have to proceed. Sonic I would like you and the guards to bring Simmons back to the Tornado, Tails has it fueled up and ready to go. Rotor, please install the device on the generals sleeve.

"Sir, why did you drug him?" Rotor pleaded.

"Tails informed me that on his journey here they were attacked, and the series of aerobatic maneuver he used to avoid their peril would have made it near impossible for him to recall how he got here. I would not like to rely on the same thing happening on his return. Should our plans fail and his mind is betrayed, Robotnik cannot learn the location of Knothole."

"But sir," Rotor insisted

"Rotor these are orders not suggestions. It was never my intention for the General to collapse this early. You will install the device and we will leave a discrete note on how to use it. "

Seeing that Rotor had backed down the King turned to Sonic, "I would like you and Tails to see to it that he has a safe return."

"Sir?" Rotor asked before speaking, "What should the note say?"



* * *

Simmons chuckled to himself as he struggled to keep up with King.

"I am finally starting to feel old," Simmons called out to the King who was more then ten stairs in front of him.

"It may feel that way, but it is the emotions that are draining your energy and your will to do even the simplest of tasks."

"How did you manage to find such a strange power?" Simmons asked through his labored breath.

"It has always been here. When my father founded this city he founded it using the wisdom he gained. We built this castle to protect this secret, which lies at the very center of the valley."

"The center? Is it a circular valley?" Simmons asked now slightly amused.

"To an extent. Why do you ask?"

"During the war we were always able to fight you because the radiation is very limited in this region of the globe, but it never occurred to us that this could be ground zero."

"Ground zero?"

"During our world war a bomb was used that was so massive it wiped an entire city off the face of the planet. Your kingdom now rests where that city used to. It is estimated that over a twenty million people died in that attack alone."

"That is horrific."

"Indeed, but that's only the half of it. This weapon was the only one of its kind ever made. It used pure dark energy, a recent discovery at the time. Upon its detonation, the dark energy purges all normal matter within an extraordinarily large radius. The dark energy feeds of any existing dark matter in the area causing an even larger chain reaction. We never figured out the exact science behind it. However, it was hypnotized that due to the nature of the bomb it would create an area void of dark matter, an area where only the most pure of energies survive. The pool of liquid is likely the result of this.

"Interesting, you are suggesting that the foundation of this kingdom rest squarely on the faults o you ancestors?"

"Yes, that pools power stems from the fact that it is devoid of any dark energy. It is so pure that it seems to have woven itself into the very fabric of time"

Simmons paused for a second and then chuckled again.

"What's so funny?" Asked the King, who himself was now amused.

"I never thought I would hear my self say something that insane and actually believe it."

"Well I must admit your theory is most interesting I will have my lead scientist look into it.

As they reemerged back into the King's well-lit quarters, Simmons headed straight for the door. He could hear the King shutting the passageway behind them.

While Simmons thought he had gotten use to the talking animals, he had not anticipated opening the door to the dining room to find a walrus who was larger than he was. Before he could say anything a strange feeling passed over him. _Perhaps it is the sight of this walrus,_ he thought at first,_ or the source of all._ He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, but everything seemed to fade away as the world shrunk around him.

* * *

Snively glanced down at his watch for what must have been the fifth time in the last hour. He was growing increasingly nervous about Simmons longer than expected absence. _Robotnik is going to begin to wonder where he is if we don't hear from him soon. _

As a new wave of worker drones approached Snively, his attention was brought back to his work. As soon as Simmons left Robotnik had ordered him to begin packing the shuttles for their departure. However, the truth was Snively had been doing that for days right underneath Robotnik's nose, but for a different reason of course. In the event that things got ugly he wanted them to be able to leave, even if it meant staying behind to face the consequences.

Snively tried to stay focused on adding items to the ships manifest as the bots passed by but Sergeant Davis had just walked in the room. Snively hadn't seen him for quite some time, most likely due to the fact that his daughter had come down with a cold. Davis had an all to eerie feeling about him.

"Sergeant, its good to see you. How is your daughter?"

Snively had grown fond his daughter; she reminded him of his cousin that he had spent time with growing up. She often followed him around the building skipping along and asking questions only a child as innocent as her could.

"Robotnik sent me here to make sure everything is on schedule. I trust that it is? Davis responded with out any hint of emotion.

"Of course."

_Now I know there is something wrong_ Snively thought. _Davis would never miss out on a chance to talk about his daughter, he loved her more than anything. Could this be the first person Robotnik has mind controlled?_

Snively stood there next to him for the better part of five minuets focusing on his job trying not to draw attention to himself. If this was in fact one of Robotnik's slaves then anything he did out of the ordinary could draw suspicion to himself. Snivly only picked his eyes up when he hear the faint screeching of the hanger door in the distance. _Simmons,_ Snively thought, _finally._ He could spot the outline of Simmons uniform exit the hover craft.

"Davis, if you will excuse to me I must go attend to our friend."

Immediately following the first step he took towards Simmons, Snively felt a strong hand on his shoulder grounding him in place. Snively gulped he wasn't sure what was going to happen next.

"You will stay here and continue to be productive per Robotiks request," Davis said in a chilling voice, "I will see to it that the General is taken care of."

Snively was still shaking even after Davis had left his presence. He wasn't sure what to do. Anything he did could give him away, and the last thing he wanted was to meet the same fate as Sergeant Davis. Snively wanted more than anything for Sonic to do what he always did, ruin all of the doctors plans.


	29. Chapter 29 Farewell

What looked like miles of stairs where stretched out before her, disappearing into the clouds as they wound around the side of the mountain. Each step was carved with precision into the side of the mountain, each one identical to the next. With a sigh Amy hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and took the first step.

She had never been this far from home before. How the King ever learned about a place that seemed to be half way around the world was beyond her. He had pulled her aside a few days ago with a 'special assignment,' but she hadn't ever imagined it was something this serious. She had to admit that that this place however far away, did look promising. The steps were nearly perfect, as if time had turned a blind eye to them. The air was thicker too, but not in a bad way, not like Robotropolis. Amy paused on a large square step to put on parka. The elevation change had caused a rather extreme temperature change. Looking back down the steps she realized how lost in thought she had been, as she was now nearly two miles from where she had started.

As she made her away around the bend, Amy squinted trying to make out the end of the stairs. It was no use, the clouds were too thick and no end was in sight. A stiff breeze picked up sending a chill through her body reminding her again that she was alone.

Making her way though the clouds was more difficult than she had anticipated. The cold damp air nipped at her exposed skin and she nearly slipped on the damp rock on several occasions. Even the wind was doing its part to keep her away. What was once a small breeze had become a deafening gust, causing her eyes to tear up.

She wasn't entirely sure what was driving her at this point. The Kings orders were one thing, but her life should be more important. Amy knew every step she climbed was possibly taking her closer to her last, but she just didn't care. Sonic had finally proven to her that he didn't care, leaving very little for her to care about. With no will to continue but no reason to stop Amy simply pressed forward, step after step.

Amy snapped awake when her foot crashed to the ground where she had expected to find a step. Looking down she found solid ground and a small clearing with a small shrine tucked into the side of the cliff. The hallowed out space had room for no more than four people. Curious she approached it, surprised to find someone sitting beneath a statue. The bald overlander was wearing a yellow tunic sitting cross-legged at the foot of life size porcelain sculpture.

Amy had only heard stories about overlanders and as far as she knew they were all back in Robotropolis or somewhere in deep space. Yet half way around the world, here was this curious looking overlander. Even though she knew they could be dangerous, she felt safe. Amy cautiously approached him from behind, making sure not to let herself be herd.

"You have traveled very far. Most do not make it," the bald man said with no inflection in his voice.

He had not even turned around to face her, but rather remained still, in the same position. She wasn't even sure what to say, or how he knew that she was there.

"Do you have a name traveler?" the man asked.

"A…Amy. How did you know I was…"

"There are more ways to see than with your eyes," he answered, cutting her off before she could even finish her question, "You are here looking for your friend are you not?"

"I am. Do you know him?" Amy responded trying to hide the amazement in her voice. _How does he know why I am here, _she thought.

"I do. He knew that someone would show up looking for him one day. I suppose you would like me take you to him."

"I would."

"I will take you to him, but I must first complete my meditation."

Amy didn't bother to ask him any more questions. Instead she approached the space next to him and sat down crossing her legs. She resisted with every fiber of her being not to make eye contact with stranger. Mimicking his form, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift. She had never felt anything like this before, it was as if her body was asleep and her mind at peace.

Amy remained in this seeming pleasant state until the man inquired, "Shall I take you to him now?"

Opening her eyes Amy simply nodded in reply.

"Very well," the man replied, still having not opened his eyes.

"I do not believe I ever learned your name," Amy said as she looked over at the stranger.

"Mannix. It means little monk," he replied as he stood up revealing his full height.

Amy was astounded. The monk was over twice her height.

"That does not seem like a very fitting name for someone of your size."

"Do you always judge a person only by their physical appearance?" the monk responded gazing down at her with his deep blue eyes.

Amy didn't respond, she hadn't meant to offend him.

"Follow me Amy, I will take you to your friend."

Amy followed him out of the Shrine and back into the clearing, which was now illuminated only by the setting sun. The breeze had died down, but the air was still cool.

"Mannix, I didn't mean to…"

"Often time people speak with out thinking, Amy. You meant no harm. While my name seems ironic to you, to me it has a different meaning."

Amy struggled to keep up with monks stride as they crossed the small clearing. "What does it mean to you?" Amy inquired.

Mannix smiled, "Amy, how did you feel while you where meditating?"

She struggled for the words, Amy responded "Like…Like I…was lost in an endless field. Everything was so calm and peaceful."

"How did you feel in size compared to what you were lost in?"

"It was as if I didn't exist, but rather connected to everything."

"My name, Amy, serves to remind me that despite my size I am still small in this world. It is a humbling device that I thank my parents for every day."

Amy smiled, it was a clever thought, _everyone should consider how small they really are, especially those who think they are large._ Staring ahead following the small footpath they were now traveling on, Amy searched for their destination in the fading light. Several small tents illuminated by glowing lights within their confines could be seen just under a half a mile away.

Turning back to Mannix Amy asked, "Do you feel lost when you meditate?"

"One only feels lost if they are not searching for something. Do not fret though, most do not even find the source on their first try. Many of us must clear our minds for days before we attempt to communicate with it."

"What do you mean search? And what is the source?"

Mannix smiled again, "The source is the natural energy all around us, it connects everything in the universe. When you are in sync with it you can look for anything as long as you have the time to spend searching for it. It is a delicate skill that requires years of practice. Some are more in tune with it than others. Your friend for example shares your natural ability when it comes to communicating with the source."

Amy contemplated about what he had just said and about what it meant_, I could find anything with my thoughts if I spent the time looking for it_.

"How do you find something in that state?"

"There is no exact way, Amy. You reach out with your thoughts, and search for the things that feel the most familiar. If and when you find what you are looking you can learn what ever it is you desire. Many of the elders in my village search for the meaning and the science behind emotions such as love and hate. Others such as myself search for smaller things that bring us in harmony with the world around us."

Amy's interested perked up even more, "You can find the source of love?"

"Yes, but no one ever has. It is to complex to understand and locate, but that does not stop people from searching. I advise that you never seek something so complicated unless you feel that you understand it in the physical world first. One can easily get lost amongst their thoughts."

Mannix paused when he reached the outer circle of their tents, "Amy please wait here, your presence may disturb some of the people who are not accustomed to travelers such as yourself."

Amy stood there as Mannix disappeared into the maze of tents before her. It was strange to think that these people had been living here all this time, unharmed and thriving. A small group of children were now peering at her from behind one of the tents. Both of the boys had shaved heads, just as Mannix did, but the girls had long flowing hair. She took a step closer to greet them, but in a blink they were gone. Amy sighed to herself.

A much smaller overlander appeared from behind the shadows, Mannix at his side.

"Amy, I am Pryor, the lead elder of this village," The frail older man said through a gritty voice, "If you follow me the towns people will not fear you. As you can see in such a remote location we are unaccustomed to travelers of any kind."

Pryor turned back towards the village and began to navigate his way through the sea of tents. Following very closely to Pryor making sure not get lost, Amy was able to see many more of the people present in the village. _Since I am with their leader they are no longer afraid,_ she thought. She spied the children she had seen earlier following along several steps behind her. Amy knelt to their height, put on a pleasant smile and waved at them. Giggling the five children ran up to her following Maddix and Pryor. The children where constantly tugging at her parka as if they where trying to figure out what it was made of.

It became apparent that they were approaching the center of the village where Amy could make out a small smoke trail rising high into the night sky. They had finally made their way to a glade amongst the forest of tents with a small fire at its center. A stone pit with benches had been carved creating a nearly perfect circle around the fire.

A solitary person sat in front of the blaze, but the subtle differences in the outline of his shadow gave him away. The pointy ears, broad shoulders, and most obviously the bushy tail.

Amy called out in such disbelief that her voice was barley audible, "Elias?" The shadowy figure did not turn around.

"I am sure you two have much to discuss, we will leave you for the time being," Pryor said as he turned back towards the tents. Mannix gently nudged the shoulders of each of the children, beckoning for them to follow.

Amy and the stranger were left alone only a few feet apart. She approached him from his left side, taking a seat next to him. All of the pictures Amy had been shown of Elias were from when he was younger, but she just knew this had to be him. She waited patiently for him to say something, after all she had accomplished the hard part, finding him.

After several minutes of staring into the dancing orange flames he spoke, "I always assumed my father would send someone to find me. I just always expected someone older. I am told your name is Amy. Is that correct?"

"Yes, and I am told that your name is Elias."

"My suspicion is that have not been told my name," he said with a smirk on his face, "When I arrived here over five years ago I never told anyone my name. I was simply accepted a stranger. Since then this place has become my home, these people my friends, and their way of life my way life."

Ignoring his semantics Amy continued, "Elias, your father asked me to come here and bring you back. He misses you."

"I am sure he does. Its no surprise with the way we left things upon my departure."

"What do you mean?"

"Before I left, I announced my decision to my father. I expected him to see the sincerity in my choice, but instead he saw a coward. He revoked my rights to the throne and practically threw me out. For three years I wondered the world searching for a new home, knowing that I could never go back."

Amy couldn't think of anything to say. The King had failed to mention their falling out before she embarked on this mission. _Knowing about their rather large disagreement would have been nice to know, _Amy thought as she looked back into the fire.

"Your sister Sally doesn't know I am here, nor your mother," Amy added.

That seemed to have attracted his attention as he was staring at her, begging for her to say more with his intense gaze. "They…they are still alive?"

"Better than that, they are alive and living happily within your Father's kingdom."

Elias slumped forward in disbelief, seemingly on the verge of tears, "I always assumed they were lost or worse yet dead. And the kingdom, it has been restored?" After a long pause he spoke again, "My father was right, I am a coward. I have herd those words echo in my head every day since I left, resisting the temptation that they might be true. I couldn't stay by his side during the time the kingdom needed me the most. He stood up against Julian and insurmountable odds to restore peace. And I…I ran away like a coward."

Elias got up to leave, clearly having heard enough. Amy quickly yelled after him, "Stop Elias, you were right to leave."

Turning to face her he scowled, "And how would you know that!"

"Because your father didn't save the kingdom, he and Elisha were captured and exiled for over five years. The same would have happened to you had you stayed."

"What about Sally, was she captured?"

"No, she was one of the few that helped save the Kingdom after its destruction."

"Ha, my own sister braver than I am," Elias snorted as he turned to leave again, "I could… No I should have been there to help her."

"Elias will you stop this and start acting your age!" Amy barked.

Now clearly agitated by her presence Elias turned to speak with her again but before he could say anything Amy continued almost yelling now, "Do you know that I traveled nearly half way around the world to find you and I am definitely not going back with out you. Your father sent me here because he is sorry. He realized after he retuned from his exile that you had not made a selfish or cowardly decision, but rather a noble one. He knew had you not made the choice you made your fate may have been different. And lets not forget about either your sister or your mother, neither of whom even know you're alive. We all need your help now, please do not let us down."

Elias was taken aback. He was clearly not sure what to say.

Talking much quieter now Amy persisted "Now is your chance, Elias, your chance to show everyone that you are not a coward and that you never were in the first place. It's your chance to reunite yourself with your sister and your mother. It's a chance to make amends with your father who has wished nothing more than to see his son everyday for the last two years and perhaps longer."

Elias sat down next to her again but didn't say anything. Amy didn't say anything either, she wanted everything she had said to sink in. She knew she had probably lied a few times in her rather gusty monologue. She wasn't sure if the king was ever sorry about calling him a coward or if he ever thought his decision was a good idea. She just wanted to get him back. As Amy looked around, she noticed their argument had attracted a rather large crowd. Several of the villagers were standing around waiting to see what happened next.

Elias was the first one to break the silence, "I can just leave here, this place is my home now."

"Elias, I know you are friends with these people, but all of us, your blood family, we need your help. Even if it isn't to stay please just come back with me to show everyone that you are alright."

Amy could see the battle Elias was waging in his head, she just wasn't sure which side was wining. A voice that Amy recognized as Mannix's could be herd from behind her, "My friend, it sounds as if you have a greater calling, you would be foolish not to listen to it."

Pryory followed, "You have been most kind to everyone here, please go help your family. You will always be welcome back. While we will miss you, it is your duty to help those in need."

Elias turned to look at everyone who was now smiling at him, clearly happy that he had reunited with his past.

"I suppose that I will go pack my things then, we have a very long journey ahead of us."

Amy felt a wave of relief pass over her entire body. She was half expecting some type of cheer, but these people seemed to be more reserved than any overlanders she had ever heard before.

"Elias, our journey will not take as long as you might expect."

Elias raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "And why is that?"

"I arrived here on one of our new planes, its parked in the valley bellow. If we leave in the morning we will be back home in the late afternoon."

"Well then, I suppose I will take this time to say farewell to all of my friends."


	30. Chapter 30 Twisted

Simmons had never been drugged before, but he was relatively sure that that was what had just happened. A groggy feeling twice as bad as waking up in the morning was keeping him from thinking straight, _Why would they drug me after they promised to help? _ Simmons looked around finally noticing that he was back in the cockpit of the hovercraft, which was again moving of its own accord.

The alarm on Simmons broke the silence, and as he glanced down to turn it off he noticed a short note taped to its face.

_Dear General Simmons,_

_You must excuse our manners, but we could not risk letting you see the way to and from our hidden kingdom. I am sure that understand should you fall into the wrong hands that information regarding our location would be rather valuable to our enemies. You will notice that your hover pod is headed home. Please do not act suspicious when you get there. Knowledge of our meeting would not be taken kindly. Additionally you should be aware that the cufflink on your right sleeve is the tiny EMP device we had designed for you. Twisting it will shut off all electronic devices in twenty foot radius. I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps our paths will cross again._

_Kind regards and apologies,_

_King Maximillian Acorn_

_P.S Please destroy this letter at your earliest convenience. _

Simmons folded the letter in quarters preparing to shred it with his hands, but he hesitated for a moment. He couldn't remember the last time he had received a hand written letter, the novelty of the idea seemed unfathomable. Instead Simmons tucked the letter inside his jacket. He knew if anyone found it he would be giving away everything, but for some reason this letter held a strange amount of sentimental value to him.

Simmons clutched his stomach as it tossed and turned, not with hunger, but fear. What ever ill fated event was in his future was fast approaching. The feeling only got worse as the craft maneuvered its way through the littered city streets.

The hanger door slid open as the vehicle waited patiently out side. He could see all three of their shuttles at the far end being loaded with supplies. Snively was standing there with a clipboard next to Sergeant Davis with an anxious look on his face. Simmons hadn't been able to spend time with Davis lately, at least not with everything that had happened. Although that was not to say that Davis wasn't having problems of his own Simmons knew that his daughter had been sick the past few days.

When the cockpit door opened it felt as if an anchor had hit the bottom of his stomach with the feeling of guilt dragging him downwards. Waiting for him only a few feet away was Davis, standing at attention. Simmons and Davis had been friends for as long as they had been in the military together, and subsequently Simmons never required Davis to show him that level of respect. _Something is not right here. _

"General Sir, how was your trip?"

It was as if the feeling of guilt repeated itself, except this time he knew why. _No! How did he get to you?_ Simmons had never cried in his life, but he wanted nothing more than to break down right then and there. _My friend, how has it come to this. I will find a way to get you back, no matter the cost. _

"It was excellent Sergeant," Simons said through the double helping of grief "I believe I can have plans for our next settlement worked out before our return."

Simmons put his hand to his head saluting as he walked past Davis, who fell in line next to him.

"Dr. Kintobor has good news. Our shuttle will be ready for launch tomorrow. A full day ahead of schedule."

"That's excellent news," Simmons replied while maintaining a convincingly sincere demeanor. "How is your daughter?"

"She is fine sir, thank you for asking."

Every time Davis used the word 'sir' Simmons felt a blow to his conscious. _It shouldn't be him! I should be the one who has been brain washed. He has a family. How did I let this happen to my only friend?_

"General Sir, Dr. Kintobor would like to see you as soon as possible. He asked me to take you to him when you arrived back from your trip."

Simmons clenched his fists as he laughed with rage inside his head, _I would love to see the dear old doctor. I am pretty sure I have a bullet with his name on it._ But he knew he couldn't blow this chance to save his friend, it might be his only one."

"Of course, I really should thank him for all that he has done any way," Simmons replied. That was the single hardest thing he had ever said in his life, as nothing could have been further from the truth.

The walk back to the doctors head quarters could not have been longer. Simmons was soaked in anger and frustration. With every step he had taken during the short walk he felt the weight of the guilt pulling his self esteem even lower. He had let his best friend down.

As they entered Robotniks office Simmons found the overly fat traitor sitting behind his desk as usual. Upon hearing them enter the doctor turned too greet them.

"General, how nice to have you back! I trust your brief adventure was worth while."

"Very much so. I believe I will be looking forward to our possible return."

"Myself as well general," the doctor added, "you see it gets very lonely around here."

"I understand we are all set to leave in the morning."

"Yes you are free to leave tomorrow. I have one last gift to bestow upon you however."

"Doctor you have been to kind. I cant even imagine what it might be."

Robotnik laughed, and Simmons joined him, knowing full well why he was laughing. Simmons had to admit it was funny. The sheer chances of the only person left on your planet attempting to enslave their own race. _What luck. _

When he caught his breath again Robotnik continued, "As a final parting gift I would like to immunize you from any new infectious biological agents that you may have come into contact with on the planet," Robotnik said as he motioned to the machine behind him. "Completely painless I assure you, just ask Sergeant Davis here…or his daughter."

Simmons nearly doubled over; _Did I hear that correctly his daughter? Not her too! She is too young. How did she ever get caught up in this? _ The only thing controlling Simmons rage was a lingering feeling that made him want to vomit.

Simmons did his best to relax before speaking, "Interesting, how exactly does the machine work?" Simmons asked wondering if the doctor would come clean right then and there.

"Its very simple General. The machine analyzes your blood and introduces the appropriate antibodies to counteract any harmful toxins, viruses, or bacteria. It will even remove low-level radiation poisoning."

"Impressive. Well I see no reason not be healthy before I return home. I wouldn't want to come down with something while I am out in deep space."

"An excellent decision General. Now if you would kindly follow me."

Simmons followed the doctor over to what looked like nothing more than a dentist chair with a strange halo like device at the far end.

"All you will need to do is lie down here, General."

Simmons did as he was told folding his hand on his stomach. He could feel the doctor's large hand on the sides of his head as he strapped the thin metal circlet to his head. _This is it, _he thought. Simmons slowly moved his left hand towards his sleeve cupping the cufflink with his fingertips.

Just when he thought he couldn't take the suspense anymore, there was a commotion coming from the hallway. He could only barely make out the screams at first but they gradually grew louder.

"Take your hands off of me! Sonic! Help!"

Even though he had only met her briefly, Simmons recognized the voice; it was the princess. Two large combat drones dragged her the room each one with a firm grasp on her fore arms. They approached Robotnik, forcing Sally to her knees. She stared into his eyes with a scornful look. _She is very strong,_ Simmons thought, _not many could look into a monsters eye with no fear. _

"How nice of you to join us Princess Sally," Robotnik said with unusual delight in his voice. "It's odd that you would wonder in on a day like today," he continued glancing over at Simmons who was still strapped to the table. "My brothers finally came home after all these years and together we can rid the world of you."

Robotnik looked up at Sergeant Davis, "Sergeant, if you wouldn't mind taking care of our rodent problem?"

"Of course. What shall I do with her?" Davis replied with no hesitation

Robotnik chuckled for a moment in his usual sinister way, "Take her out back and shoot her."

"With pleasure." Davis remarked as he walked out of the room followed by the two Swat Bots.

As the bots dragged her out of the room, Simmons did the first thing that came to his mind; he winked. He just wanted to let her know that everything was going to be all right no matter how much of the opposite seemed to be true. If someone had seen him, they may have had reason to believe that they knew each other. Luckily Sally was the only one watching him. Sally spit on the ground with a look of disgust on her face, an obvious ploy to distract their enemies. Simmons had a feeling it was her way of saying 'I know'. It was obviously not the first time she had been in such a situation.

Simmons wasn't sure how much more pain he could take. _How much more can I be tested? What else is to come? When will it stop?_ He maintained eye contact with the princess until she was dragged out of site.

"I am sorry for the intrusion General. Now where were we?"

Doing his best to ignore everything that just happened, "I believe you where in the process of immunizing me."

"Of course," Robotnik replied as he moved over towards the terminal, "it will only take a moment now."

Simmons watched as if everything were in slow motion while the doctor reached for the large red button on the control panel. He knew it was time and with what seemed like his only remaining strength, Simmons twisted the top of the cufflink.


	31. Chapter 31 In hindsight

Sally had been in this kind of trouble before, but never with the promise of death looming so close. Robonik had always used her as bait for Sonic in the past, but this time things where different. _Robotnik must be very confident that he has the upper hand if he is sending me straight to execution,_ As the Swat bots dragged her back down the hall Sally thought, _My father is going to kill me if Davis doesn't first._ She tried to recall how all this happened as she struggled to block out the throbbing pain in the back of her head.

When she had learned that Sonic had left with Tails to escort the General back to Robotroplis she rushed to the hanger hoping to catch them before they left. She was too late, and there was no sign of them anywhere. She wanted more than anything to find Sonic, to tell him that she was sorry, and that everything was going to be okay.

Feeling disappointed, Sally turned back towards the castle. As she walked past Tails open locker she saw one of the kit's hover boards. Sally smiled for a second with the thought of catching up to them. After all, Tails had given her lessons before. Sally grabbed the board from the locker along with a spare pair aviator goggles. She knew that she was disobeying her father, but she didn't intend to do anything besides meet up with Sonic. _Besides, _she thought, _when was the last time I got to have an adventure outside of the castle?_

In no time she was crossing the open prairie at the hover boards maximum speed. She knew the hover board wasn't as fast as the Tornado or Sonic, but with luck they wouldn't be flying fast with VIP on board. The wind whipped past her face with her jacket ruffling in the wind as she maintained her speed. Nothing was going to keep her from finding Sonic.

It didn't take her long to find the Tornado, which had been left out in the middle of a field. However, Tails and Sonic were nowhere to be seen. Scanning the horizon Sally could make out one of Robotnik's hover pods in the distance. _That must be them. They must be with Simmons. _Sally quickly kicked the hover board back in gear and followed in pursuit.

After she had crossed over the river Sally remembered stashing the hover board in an abandoned house at the edge of the city, where she could return for it later. She had decided that it would be better to follow the now slower moving hovercraft on foot where she stood a better chance of remaining she wondered further and further into the city she began to worry that Sonic may in fact not be around. _Wouldn't they have gotten out by now_, she remembered thinking. Blinded by her determination, she continued.

Sally peered around the alleyway checking the abandoned streets for enemies before perusing the General. The hovercraft seemed to wiggle its way in-between the hanger doors before coming to a stop and landing. As the doors began to shut Sally ran up to them peering inside at the General and another overlander.

Nothing they said seemed to give her any better of an idea as to where Sonic was.

"It was excellent Sergeant," said the General as he saluted the other man, "I believe I can have plans for our next settlement worked out before our return."

"Dr. Kintobor has good news. Our shuttle will be ready for launch tomorrow. A full day ahead of schedule."

"That's excellent news," Simmons replied, "How is your daughter?"

"She is fine Sir, thank you for asking. General Sir, Dr. Kintobor would like to see you as soon as possible. He asked me to take you to him when you arrived back from your trip."

The two of them disappeared into one of the adjacent rooms in the hanger, She would have to follow them some other way. Sally turned to walk down the alleyway only to come face to face with two Swat bots. It was the last thing she remembered before she felt cold hard steel against the back of her head.

When she came to again it took a moment to realize what had happened. She looked side to side through her blurry vision, identifying the discomfort in her forearms as the constricting grip of Swat Bots. Sally could feel her feet dragging helplessly across the floor as the Swat Bots shoed little concern for her well-being or condition. As they continued to drag her down the poorly lit hall she slowly put herself together and began to walk in step with them, fighting them every inch of the way. She knew it was no use, their grip was unbreakable and their stances immovable, but she persisted.

Thus far she hadn't seen any signs of Tails or Sonic, but she knew they had to be around. Perhaps if they were close enough they could hear her.

With each scream she felt more worthless. _How did I let this happen to myself, I am never this careless. I have put our entire mission in jeopardy. _Moreover, Sally knew that given the chance Sonic would save her instead of complete any of his assigned orders, even if that mean dooming them all. Despite this she continued to call out for him knowing full well he was the only one that could save her.

Light poured in from a door way a little further down the hall. She recognized the place as she had been there before, _Doctor Robotnik's lab. I am getting the royal treatment this time, strait to the top._

When she arrived in the room Simmons was laying down on a bench with some type of halo strapped to his head. _This must be it,_ she thought, _this is Doctor Robotnik's mind control machine._

The Swat bots marched her Straight up to Robotnik, forcing her to kneel on the floor before him. Sally looked back into his oddly red eyes showing no signs of fear. She refused to be intimidated by him.

In his grating deep voice Robotnik began, "How nice of you to join us Princess Sally."

She didn't bother granting him a response, _he doesn't even deserve to share the same air. _

"It's odd that you would wonder in on a day like to day," he continued as he glanced over at Simmons who was still strapped to the table. "My brothers finally came home after all these years and together we can rid the world of you."

_Your brother's, is that what you call them? How can he even utter the mention of brotherhood when he intends to enslave them all? What kind of brother would you be to do that to them?_

Seeing her lack of response, Robotnik looked at the other overlander, ""Sergeant, if you wouldn't mind taking care of our rodent problem?"

Sally continued to stare at the doctor, her expression unchanged even while facing is mockery.

"Of course. What shall I do with her?" the other overlander replied.

Sally already knew what was coming before he said it. Regardless, it changed nothing. She had been sentenced to death more time than she could recall, and every single time Sonic had shown up in time to save her.

"Take her out back and shoot her," Robotnik said after a brief chuckle.

Sally almost laughed inside her hear head, it was such an anticlimactic way to go. _Robotnik has always had such elaborate plans for my death in the past. Why is he so hasty now?_

Sally caught the Generals gaze as she was being dragged backwards out of the room. With a shockingly unworried face he winked at her as if to say he had a plan. Rather than attempt to communicate with him and drawn any attention to them, she spit on the ground in disgust of his presence only in effort to let him know she understood. Hopefully he would get the message as un-lady like as it may have been.

And here she was, still stuck in the clutches of her captors with death only fourteen steps in front of her. The overlander whom Robotnik had addressed as Davis held the door open for the Swat bots as they dragged her back out into the afternoon sun where she was quickly thrown to the ground. The earth tore at her knees and elbows as she rolled across the pavement. She turned back towards her executor who had already produced a silver pistol from his holster.

The thought of running had occurred to her, but she knew it would be of no use, she was surrounded on all sides. _I may as well die with some dignity, _she thought as she brought herself to her feet. In hindsight she knew coming here was a bad idea, but the only thing she regretted was never being able to find and apologize to Sonic. She looked into the overlanders eyes waiting for his next move only to find the subtle suggestion that he was confused. _No doubt the real person behind him has objections, _she thought, _he must be under Robotnik's control. _

Sally watched helplessly as the overlander raised the pistol towards her. She stood there staring down the barrel for a few moments, almost daring him to shoot. At last she took a breath and closed her eyes waiting for it all to be over. A single tear escaped her right eye, as the thought of everything ending like this had finally sunken in. _I will miss you Sonic._

The gunshot was much louder than she had anticipated. Her ears were ringing as a result of the nearly deafening sound. Expecting to feel pain when there was none Sally slowly opened her eyes to the nervous look of the overlander who was now holding his gun-less hand in pain. Sally smiled, _Sonic if only you knew how much I loved you. _


	32. Chapter 32 Tyrant

The gust of wind following Sonic's trail finally caught up with her kicking up a trail of dust, forcing her hair into frenzy. None of them, with the exception of Sally, had realized what happened yet. Sally ignored Davis, who was still trying to figure out what had happened as well and instead concentrated on the nearest Swat Bot. She smiled because the bot wouldn't fire unless she fled or was given orders to do so. All she had to do was wait for the inevitable.

It didn't take long, she could barley make out the blue blur as it traveled towards the unsuspecting Swat Bot. Rather than wait and see what happened Sally immediately swept the legs out from underneath the adjacent Swat Bot, sending backwards onto the ground. She quickly moved to wrestle its blaster out of its hands, turning it on the machine. The low-pitched _thunk_ the blaster made was considerably quieter than the gun, but its effect was equally as devastating. She looked down as the robot twitched as it produced a shower of sparks while it short circuited . Sally looked back over her shoulder to see Sonic standing over the battered body of the other Swat Bot.

Together, they both approached Davis, Sonic twirling Davis' silver pistol by its finger guard.

"You know you should really watch where you point these things," Sonic said as he tossed the pistol back to Davis. "Someone could get hurt."

Davis frowned as he checked the chamber only to find the gun had been unloaded.

"No matter," Davis responded as he re-holstered the weapon. "I will deal with the two of you in other ways."

Sonic laughed, "Really? And just what where you planning?"

Sally had already tossed away the blaster, she had a feeling Davis also knew it was useless when the Swat Bot it belonged to was destroyed.

The three of them continued their stare down waiting to see who made the first move. Oddly enough it was Davis, who first removed his belt with the attached holster, closely followed by the top to his military uniform, which he folded nicely and placed behind him. _The man is certainly impressive for his age_,Sally thought, as she couldn't help but notice Davis' strength. The uniform hid his true physical features, which now show plainly through the green t-shirt. After removing all of what she assumed would get in the way of a physical fight he approached Sonic.

"You should really sit this one out," Sonic suggested in a mocking tone, "I don't want to have to beat up someone older than my Dad."

Davis didn't seem to hear Sonic, or if he did, he didn't care. When Davis was only three steps away from a still stationary Sonic, the alley door burst open out of which appeared Dr. Robotnik and General Simmons. Davis stopped in his tracks as both he and Sonic turned to see who it was.

"Blast you hedgehog!" Robotnik bellowed, "You cant ever stay out of anything."

Davis stared at Robotnik as if expecting an order.

"What are you waiting for?" Robotniks asked, "By all means continue, kill the hedgehog!"

The grin on Sonic's face grew, _Who does he think this guy is? He knows he cant beat me. _Sonic dug his feet into the ground waiting for his opponent to get with in range.

This time it was Simmons who called out, "Stop!"

Everyone turned to look at him as he continued, "Sonic, you can hurt him this is all my fault! Please he is my only friend!"

Robotnik looked over at him with an indescribable expression. "You! You're the reason my machine is broken! You sided with them! They are nothing but scum, I thought you at the very least would agree."

"They are not trying to enslave my race, Doctor Robotnik, is it?" Simmons said as he stared down his enemy.

"I wasn't trying to enslave you, only make you stronger, give you the will to do things you couldn't!"

"Really?" Simmons said, "Sergeant Davis, stand down, that is a direct order."

Davis' reply was swift, "I only except orders from my commanding officer, Sir."

Simmons turned back towards Robotnik, "I am not sure what you call your invention, but it has undone thirty years of friend ship and military training, and if that's not brainwashing I don't know what is!"

Robotnik was about to boil over with rage, "Why you little insignificant ungrateful brat!"

Clearly having had enough Simmons reached for his sidearm, but to Sally's surprise Robotnik was faster, and not by just a little. In the blink of eye Robotnik had his blaster squarely trained on Simmons' chest. Simmons stood there in awe as he hadn't even unbuttoned the strap on his gun.

"A poor decision General," Robotnik began, "as it will be your last. My cybernetic implants give me increased reaction time and movement speed."

Clearly in and odd state of mind, Simmons laughed, almost with hysterically as he said, "Did they come with the 40+ waist line?" Even both Sonic and Sally chuckled audibly despite their friend's grim circumstances.

Robotniks' head had nearly turned purple trying to contain his anger, "A quick death would be too good for you. I have a better idea. After your dear friend here finishes off these two, I am sure he would be delighted to take care of a traitor."

The smile on Simmons face disappeared quickly as he thought of fighting for his life against his only friend sunk in. Sally gasped, _Only Robotnik would think of something so cruel._

"Well lets have it then" Robotnik said looking at Davis but still pointing the blaster at Simmons."

Davis refocused himself on Sonic and began to take his final steps towards him.

Simmons called out one last time, "Sonic, please do not kill him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Sonic looked over at Simmons, "No problem, this will be a piece of cak…"

Sonic hadn't seen Davis' fist in time to block it and it hit him square in the jaw knocking him backwards onto the ground.

Sally immediately screamed, "Sonic! Pay attention!"

Sonic gathereded himself back on to his feet rubbing the sore spot on his muzzle. "So we are going to play like that then," Sonic said as he walked back towards Davis. Seeing no response from Davis, Sonic sped up leading with a heavy right hook.

It was as if Davis didn't see him coming. He made no attempt to move until the very last second when he reached out and grabbed Sonic's fist, halting him in mid air. Davis quickly followed this with a leg sweep and while Sonic was falling backwards Davis used all of his strength in a downward elbow, striking Sonic in the center of chest.

Sonic hit the ground hard, and Sally could have sworn that she heard one of his ribs crack when Davis struck him in the chest. She watched as he lay nearly motionless on the ground.

"You are pathetic," Davis said as he stood over the maimed hedgehog, "Luckily you wont have to deal with that much longer."

Sally didn't want to watch, but she knew if she did nothing Sonic wasn't going to live for much longer. With out thinking she broke into a sprint towards Davis pulling her foot up off the ground at the last second to perform a mid air kick. It worked; she struck him in the chest as he turned to face her. Davis staggered backwards looking slightly surprised. The kick hadn't knocked him over, only angered him. Sally backed up as Davis slowly paced his way up to her.

"Very impressive for a princess, but I would appreciate that you wait for your turn," Davis said as he struck Sally with the back of his hand, knocking her to the ground. Standing over her he continued, "I am surprised, you put up a better fight than your friend. It is too bad you areweaker than he is."

"Who are you calling weak," Sonic said from behind him.

Davis turned, but it was his turn to be caught off guard. Sonic landed an uppercut, nearly lifting Davis off the ground. Sonic quickly followed it with a hook into the side of his stomach. Surprisingly, the blows, which Sonic assumed would be crippling, barley fazed his opponent.

Davis spit a large helping of blood out of his mouth, smiling. The red glow around his teeth made him look nearly as sinister as Robotnik.

"Don't you get it Sonic, I found an enemy you cant beat," Robotnik said as Sonic began to back away from Davis. "When you are privy to the information in someone's mind, you learn a lot about them. For instance, Davis has been trained in five different kinds of lethal martial arts. And thanks to our mutual friend, General Simmons, you can't hit him too hard." Robotnik laughed out loud, impressed with himself.

Sonic had to admit that he had never fought an opponent trained so well in one on one combat. His reflexes and strength were nearly equal to that of his own. More over Sonic couldn't land any of his harder hitting attacks with out fear of killing him. He was out matched and he knew it. _I can't take too many more hits from him, the last one nearly killed me, _Sonic thought as he massaged what was surely a broken rib. _If I can't use my speed to hurt him, then perhaps I should use it to avoid him. He is only human; he will run out of energy. _The only remaining question was, who would run out of energy first him or Davis?

Sally had struggled back to her feat, wiping the blood from the small cut on her face. She looked on as Sonic and Davis continued to fight. She smiled when she realized that Sonic for a change was using his brain, _he isn't attacking him, he is wearing him out. _Sonic had repeatedly baited the Sergeant into an opportunity to attack, forcing him to expend large quantities of energy trying to catch someone who was simply too quick to be caught. Nearly ten minutes went by before Davis spoke through his laboring breath, "You disappoint me hedgehog. Is this all you can do? Avoid my attacks and try and wear me out?" Sonic didn't respond for fear of displaying his own exhaustion. _If I don't end this quick I am not going to have enough energy to do anything else._

Davis took a step close and resumed his fighting stance. Sonic meanwhile analyzed him for any weakness what so ever. It then occurred to him that fighting was well in the Sergeants favor and that a little fowl play on his part would probably go unnoticed. When Davis took an additional step closer Sonic aimed a kick at the ground, kicking up gravel and dirt alike. Davis wasn't quick enough to shield his eyes and he was forced to withdrawal from his attack trying desperately to wipe the dirt from his face.

Sonic took his chance, knowing that it may be his last and put as much force as he could must behind a punch to the Sergeants gut. Having not seen it coming Davis didn't have time to tighten his mussels as he had been able to previously. The attacked caused him to double over and gasp for air. Continuing to seize his opportunities Sonic landed a rather potent kick on the side of Davis' head sending him backwards and sideways.

Sally followed Davis' body as it flew backwards, landing head first on a large metal girder that had been laying about. The loud clank it produced echoed in the alleyway as he laid their motionless. Sally gasped out loud as she saw a pool of blood begin to form at the base of his neck.

Ignoring Robotnik's blaster Simmons ran over to Davis, immediately checking for a pulse.

"I always knew you were a rotten player hedgehog. I am almost impressed you had the guts to kill him," Robotnik said putting his blaster back into his holster.

Sonic hadn't meant for him to hit his head so hard. _What am I going to do if I killed him? _Sonic thought as he looked over at Simmons waiting for some kind of response. The general looked up from his friend nodding his head at Sonic with a relieved look on his face. However, the general was quick to tear of a sleeve off his uniform, wrapping it around Davis' head to stop the bleeding.

"Oh, how fortunate for me," Robotnik said sarcastically, "My soldier is still alive."

"How dare you call him your soldier, you haven't the right!" Simmons screamed as he stood up. "You think he is disposable, the same as any of your robots. You don't know the first thing about being a leader!"

"And I never have," Robotnik retorted as he continued to laugh. "I only know how to be a tyrant."

"Well doc, it looks like the gig is up. You don't have any cards left to play," Sonic said as he and Sally moved into surround him.

"Not so fast hedgehog," Robtonik said as he tapped the side of his holster, "Lets not forget I am nearly as fast as you. Nor would we want me to accidentally miss and hit anyone else."

"As fast as me? Ha, that would be the day."

"Wouldn't it though," Robotik uttered under his breath. Robtnik reached down to his belt, unlatching it letting it and his blaster fall to the ground.

"You're kidding right?"

Sonic could barely contain himself. The only thing preventing him from laughing harder was the pain in his ribs.

"Laugh while you can hedgehog, laugh while you can."

Still laughing, now almost uncontrollably, Sonic managed to speak, "Please don't take your shirt off too."

"I am finally giving you your chance hedgehog, just you and me," Robotnik said with a chuckle

"If you say so. I'll even try and go easy on you."

"Oh I don't think that will be necessary."

Sally tried to stop him, but it was too late, Sonic was already running at him. _Isn't it obvious this is a trick._ _Why can you think things through?_

Sonic's mistake became all too evident when he realized mid way through his jump that Robotnik had faster reflexes than he had anticipated. There was nothing he could do as the Doctor easily side stepped him while grabbing him by the neck. Sonic struggled to free himself for the his captors tightening grip.

"You don't listen very well hedgehog. Perhaps you didn't hear me mention my cybernetic implants or that I have access to all of Davis thoughts, and subsequently the training of his martial arts. Not only am I now quicker than he was, I am just as deadly. The thought of snapping your neck delights me hedgehog, but it would be over too quick." With a strong heave, Robotnik threw Sonic several hundred feet out of the alley and into the street.

Sally screamed chasing after him. She found him struggling to right himself amidst a pile of rubble in the street.

"Sonic! Are you okay?"

"Never better," he said with a smile on his face, "Why do you ask?"

"This isn't a time to be funny, that's the second time you have nearly gotten yourself killed. We need to leave now!"

"No way! I have waited to long for this day."

"Sonic, he is too strong for you right now."

"No, he just wishes he was."

"Sonic stop this, we need to leave!"

"And what about Simmons? Are we just going to leave him after we promised to help?"

"Well we certainly cant do anything if your dead," Sally said through sob.

"There you are hedgehog," Robotnik said emerging from the alleyway. "I was worried that you may have left."

"Fat chance, Ro-butt-nik," Sonic replied.

"That's what I like about you hedgehog, so headstrong. You don't ever back down from a fight."

"Heh I have never had a reason to… and I still don't," Sonic said with confidence.

"Sonic, I order you to stop this!" Sally screamed.

"I am sorry Sally," Sonic said as he turned back towards a chuckling Robotnik.

Sonic was done taking his opponents lightly; it had cost him too much already. Sonic planted his right foot firmly in the ground, making sure it would hold. With all of his remaining strength he pushed off and broke into a full sprint towards the doctor, breaking into a spin dash at the last possible second.

To everyone's surprise Robotnik stopped Sonic in his tracks with a well placed martial's arts maneuver, canceling out the attack. The doctor then followed it with another unusual attack that sent Sonic flying backwards into the same ruble pile.

Before the dust even cleared Robotnik began to speak, "Come on hedgehog you can do better than that."

Sonic quickly re-emerged from the dust with even more scrapes, "Funny I was thinking the same thing."

Sally began to plead with him again, "Sonic, cant you see that you are in over your head. If we lose you, everything will be lost."

"Relax, I don't intend on losing."

"Don't be this thick Sonic, not now!"

As much as he didn't want to, Sonic tuned Sally out. He could see the tears streaming down her face, the thought of loosing him clearly haunting her. Regardless, nothing she said was going to change his mind.

"Sonic, if you love me you will stop this now."

…_except for that. _He turned towards her, "Sally, now is my chance to end this."

"And look how well its gone so far!" she screamed while holding back tears. "We are done, you are leaving with me right now."

Sonic removed himself from his fighting stance, loosening up his whole body as his shoulder slumped lower in defeat. "Fine," he said.

"Leaving so soon hedgehog," Robotnik inquired. "I was hoping you would stay and play."

"It would seem you win this time, Robotnik."

"Until one of us is dead there is no victory. But I assume you already know that, hedgehog."

"We will finish this fight another day, you have my word on that," Sonic replied.

"And here I thought you were the great Sonic the hedgehog," a voice said from behind Sonic.

All three of them turned to look. The squirrel had a bushy tail and square broad shoulders upon which rested his staff. He casually walked between Sonic and Sally, stopping when he reached Sonic's side.

"Amy said you might need this," the stranger said as he produced a pulsating power ring. Sonic accepted the ring, but kept his eyes locked on the squirrel as he approached Robotnik.

Sonic looked over at Sally who couldn't seem to find the words she wanted to say.

"Julian, it has been a while."

"Today only seems to get more interesting," Robotnik began. "I never would have suspected the long lost son of the great Maximilian to show up."

Sonic did a double take between the stranger and Sally before uttering the words she had been so clearly attempting to say, "Elias?"

The squirrel didn't respond, his eyes still trained on Robotnik.

"You and I have unfinished business."

"Get in line," Robotnik snapped.

"So then it comes to this," the stranger said removing his staff from his shoulder.

"Ha, you and your friends need to learn when you are out matched," Robotnik replied as he moved forward to strike the newcomer.

The squirrel was very light on his feet, side stepping the Doctors first attack and retaliating with a firm whack from his staff. Robotnik seemed un-fazed but persistent. Using the martial arts he stole from Davis, Robotnik attempted a series of attacks that would have brought untold pain to any normal person. However, each attack fell on nothing but the strangers staff. It was almost as if the squirrel was toying with him.

Gathering his composure Robotnik began, "Most impressive. I never would have expected this from you. It is too bad you will not have more time to put your skills to work for your friends."

"Heh, you think to little of me Julian," said the stranger. A lighting fast strike to Robotnik's knee caused him to fall to the ground. The squirrel quickly followed with a blow across his face, smearing it with blood.

Robotnik slowly backed away whimpering in pain, his nose gushing with blood, "Now, now, Elias don't do anything you might regret."

"Like kill the person who enslaved my kingdom, the person who has prevented me from having a normal life, the person who captured my mother and father?" Elias was seething with rage as he followed Robotnik who continued to back away, cowering in the squirrel's presence. "Why should I let you live?"

Robotnik had finally backed up into the wall of his headquarters and had no more room to retreat. Elias demanded this time, "Why should I let you live! What good have you done that even grants you the right to breath?"

The doctor could not seem to produce a response, he just sat leaning against the wall waiting for Elias to make his move.

After a few moments he responded, "Face it Elias, you're to weak to finish me. So much talent, wasted."

"You are in no position to speak of frailty," Elias barked as he prodded the Robotnik with his staff.

Elias forgot all to quickly how quick and deceptive his opponent was. Robotnik seized his chance, grabbing his staff. The Doctor quickly used it to thrust his opponent away. Despite his injury he was on his feet in a matter of seconds. Still recoiling from the surprise attack Elias struggled to regain his balance.

Sonic realized it too late, the Doctor had no plans of sticking around, he was headed for the door. As quick as he was, he was too late. The large metal door slammed shut in his face and Robotnik had escaped again. Elias showed up only a second after Sonic enraged by his escape.

"Come out of there you coward!"

He banged on the door furiously with his staff knowing full well it would do nothing against the impenetrable doors.

"Julian, I will find you, and when I do it will be over all for you!" Elias shouted at the top of his lungs.

Sally had cautiously approached the stranger from behind, tapping him on his shoulder tearing him away from the door. He turned to face her, staring into her eyes. Her voice was quiet and filled with so much confusion, "Elias?"

"Hello, Sally." He replied with a reserved look on his face, almost unsure of what to say himself.

Sally immediately embraced him; there was nothing more that either of them could say.


	33. Chapter 33 Family

I am sorry for updating this so late...again. Exams and projects amongst other things have gotten the better of me over the last two weeks. Additionally I went back and fixed some of the previous chapter (32) to read correctly. Enjoy,

* * *

Elias strode along next to the pink hedgehog marveling at how his childhood home had changed. He could feel a storm brewing in the distance as heavy breeze pushed its way through the forest. Looking up through the trees revealed nothing more than an overcast sky.

"Well at least some things never change," Elias said aloud when the castle came into view.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"The castle, it doesn't look like it has changed one bit."

Elias approached the gate in a reserved manner, as if he had no idea where he was. The last thing he wanted was for people to realize who he was. The guard didn't seem to mind him much, but rather asked Amy a seemingly endless number of questions.

"I told you already!" Amy shouted, "The king has requested him."

"Well 'he', whoever 'he' is, doesn't show up on my list."

"Nicole!" Amy yelled loudly.

Before Elias' eyes a holographic image assembled itself into a person. He stood there dumbfounded while the apparition went on to tell the guard not to ask any more question.

Nicole looked over at him after she finished speaking with the guard and began, "It is nice to finally meet you. We can spend time getting to know each other better later, for now you are free to proceed."

Elias slowly proceeded into the castle, looking back over his shoulder trying to make sense of everything.

"Who was that?"

"That was our AI system Nicole. She is basically Sally's best friend, I am sure you will learn more about her soon."

Taking his mind off of the fancy computer Elias continued through the all too familiar halls of the castle. It was all too obvious where they were heading. Elias had had the room burned into his mind for years now. It seemed any important conversation his father ever needed to have occurred in the great hall.

Amy pushed open the doors and Elias eyes were drawn to him immediately. His father, who looked significantly older, was sitting at the end of the table as he always did with his arms folded, resting, on the end of the table. It took his father a moment to realize who had walked into the room. His facial expression was slow to change as if he couldn't grasp the realization. Elias continued his slow pace towards the table, giving his father all the time he needed to cope with his presence.

Elias had been thinking about this day for as long as he could remember, but he had never thought of anything to say. It didn't bother him though as he didn't plan on doing any of the talking. The years he had spent in the mountains he had mostly kept to himself, only exchanging ideological thoughts with those comfortable enough to talk to him.

Elias had nearly reached the table when his father got out of his seat.

"My son," he said softly as if he barely believed what he was seeing.

Elias said nothing, and maintained an expression devoid of feelings.

"I suppose you are expecting an apology," the King said as he approached Elias.

Embracing Elias, he spoke almost directly into his ear, "I said to many harsh words to such a young boy. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I know you wanted nothing more than to live your life the way anyone your age would have liked."

The King took a step back, keeping his hands on Elias' shoulders and his eyes locked onto his waiting for a response.

"I questioned my courage every day because of you, but it has made me stronger for it. I see the faults in my thinking and regret my decision to leave. However, the decision I made was still the right one."

Amy stood there confused, while the King appeared as if he was going to cry. _Neither of them really forgave each other,_ Amy thought, _they just accepted the other persons reasoning. _

"I couldn't agree more son. Now let us leave the past alone, there is too much concerning the present. I really need to fill…"

Elias stopped him before he could continue, "I would very much like to see Sally."

"Of course of course. You have spent too much time away from a sibling who has missed you with all of her heart. Nicole, if you would inform Sally that there is a visitor here to see her."

"Of course Sir, just one moment," the anonymous voice said as it echoed through the room.

There was a brief pause before Nicole appeared in front of them. "Sir, I am afraid I can't find Sally."

"What do you mean you can find her?"

"She is not anywhere with in the city limits. Otherwise, I would have found her."

The King's face quickly changed to a deeply worried look as he began to pace back and forth.

"Nicole, do you have any idea where she could have gone?"

"Unfortunately I do. The last thing she mentioned to me was that she wanted to find Sonic, but he left here over an hour ago."

"Is it possible that she followed them?"

"Yes sir it is."

"After I made her promise," The King yelled.

"Do not worry father, I will go get her," Elias said calmly.

"No son, this is out of the question. I wont loose you again. Amy, I want you to try to catch up to her, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding her if Robotnik hasn't already."

"I spent too many years thinking I was a coward for you to tell me to stay here as if I was a child!"

The King glanced back at Elias, slightly surprised with his tone.

Elias continued, "I cam back to see Sally. Out of all my memories she is the only positive one that I seem to recall. I came here of my own free will and I intend to continue to act of it."

"Elias, you do not need to prove anything to me. I am your father."

"That was not the case six years ago." Elias said has he turned to leave. "Amy, I hope you do not mind if I join you."

"Of Course not, but we are going to need to pick something up before we leave," Amy said as she struggled to catch up with Elias as he moved back towards the door.

Elias paused when his father called out, "Be safe Elias and please bring your sister back. It would be nice to be a family again."

Elias smiled, but only Amy could see that. Instead of turning to face his father, he continued towards the door.

* * *

Elias stood at the rivers edge with Amy at his side. They both stared across the half mile stretch of water searching or a way around the obstacle. The bridge which could be seen nearly a mile in the distance was useless as it had collapsed half way across the river. Sighing to himself, Elias dipped his big toe in the water, surprised by its cool temperature.

"Elias, your not actually thinking about swimming right?"

"What would you suggest?" he responded as he waded into the flowing river.

"Well it's just that this river is not very safe. There are lots of toxins in it."

Elias paused a moment looking down at the dull grey lifeless water and the lack of vegetation at the waters edge. "Regardless," he said looking back at her, "I made a promise to myself and my father to get her back."

Elias then took the final plunge, diving forward into the deeper part of the river. The water felt like daggers against body, so cold that it sucked the energy out of him. He heard a small splash behind, which he assumed was Amy. _She should not be following me, this may be too much for her._ The years he had spent in the mountains would be paying off right now, as a cold climate was nothing new to him. He pressed forward stroke after stroke only occasionally looking up to check on the progress and to ensure that a pink hedgehog was not to far behind.

When he reached the other side, Elias dragged himself out of the water in relief. The cool breeze sent a chill threw him, but he shrugged it off. Taking a few more steps inland he took a moment to take in the view of the Overlanders city. It had once been a marvel to look at, a feat of engineering to which his people could aspire to, but now it was a waste land. A black sky loomed over crumbling buildings and littered streets.

The splashing sounds behind him reminded him that he was not alone. Amy too dragged herself out of the water, but she did not bring herself to her feet. Instead she laid there on her back just out of reach of the water. She was shivering uncontrollably from head to toe.

_How she even made it across the river is beyond me,_ Elias thought. _She must be tougher than she looks… after all she managed to find me._ "It was stupid of you to follow me," Elias said as he stood over Amy.

He could tell she wanted to respond, but couldn't find the strength. _I cant just leave her here, she will die. I need to get her warm and quickly. _Elias knelt down and picked up the sopping wet hedgehog carrying her away from the river.

A faint smell of burning wood could be smelled near by as it rode by his nose on another gust of wind. _A fire, _Elais thought, _is precisely what I need. But who would be out here?_ Deciding that the 'who' was not important, he followed the smell further inland.

Just on the other side of the clearing was a small wood cabin with smoke rising from its chimney. Cautiously he knocked on the door and waited for a response. When none came he pushed open the door revealing only a makeshift table, a crate for a chair and a small fire in the fireplace. Elias approached the fire and set Amy down on the hearth stone near the fire.

A quick shuffle of feet could be heard from behind. Elias had known all along that he was not alone, but he was confident that it was nothing he couldn't handle. He turned to face his attacker just in time to grab a gloved fist. He forced the young fox to the floor, tightening his grip as he did so. The kit struggled, but it was pointless, Elias was stronger.

"Stop," Amy said through chattering teeth, "It's Tails.

Elias loosened his grip but did not release the fox. Instead he watched as the foxes eyes fell on Amy. "Amy, are you alright?" He called out. Seeing that they knew each other Elias released his grip and let the fox run over to her. Elias took a seat on the crate and looked on as the fox tended to the ailing hedgehog. When it appeared the kit was satisfied with her condition the fox cautiously approached him.

"I am Tails," he said reaching his injured hand out hesitantly to greet him. "Thanks for Saving Amy! I am not even sure what she was doing out here."

"My apologies Tails," said Elias looking down at Tails' hand. "However, it is my fault she is in her current condition. She and I are here looking for Sally, and with no other way across the river we were forced to swim. I never intended for her to follow me, she is very strong to have made it this far."

"Sally? What do you mean? What is she doing here?"

"Looking for one who goes by Sonic I am told."

"That's not good," Tails replied. "He went further into the city to follow Simmons."

"Who is Simmons?"

"He is…I don't believe I ever got you name." Tails said staring down the stranger, "And why are you so interested in Sally?

"I am her brother, I think I am entitled to be concerned about her well being.

Tails froze, "H-her brother? You're Elias?"

Elias nodded in response.

"It is me who should be sorry then," Tails said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, it's an understandable mistake when I haven't been around for the last six years."

Elias glanced over at Amy who was now asleep next to the fire and then back to Tails. "So who is this Simmons fellow?"

"Its not exactly a short story," Tails responded.

"I believe we have some time for stories," Elias said motioning to the sleeping hedgehog.

* * *

Amy awoke to the strange feeling of warmth surrounding her body. She looked out into the dimly lit room. Two shadows danced against the wall in time with the flickering fire. It took her a moment to recognize them, but she made no effort to move. The last thing she remembered was swimming for her life. The water was beyond painfully cold and the current was far too strong. _How did I get here?_

Enjoying the comfort of the fire at her back she curled up in the blanket she had been wrapped in and listened to Tails and Elias as they spoke softly to each other.

"Enough about all of this Overlander stuff, tell me about what happened to you," Tails requested.

"There is not much to say. I left six years ago and spent well over two years of that time searching for a new home. I happened to stumble across another Overlander village high up in the mountains, one safe from the poison that was left behind. They took me in without any questions, and I learned so much while I was there."

"You live in another Overlander village? That's so cool! I didn't think there were any more. Are they the ones that taught you how to fight?" Tails asked as he raised his the hand Elias had injured earlier.

"Indeed, and they taught me well. I was trained to fight not only with my body but my mind as well. Before I left I managed to join the elite ranks of their monks. However, do not judge them by their combative arts, they are peaceful people."

"Can you show me some moves?" Tails asked?

"Perhaps, but not now. This art is not something that is entered into lightly."

Elias reached for the staff he had slung to his back and handed it to Tails.

Tails examined the staff for a few moments before asking, "Did they make this for you?"

"No. I was required to make it myself. The staff is a symbol of wisdom and peace to our people, but is also a weapon. In order to complete my training I spent two years growing and raising the tree that I used to make this staff. The tree normally grows crooked, so you must be there every day to make sure that it does not."

"Why not just use a normal tree?"

"Because this staff is as hard and durable as steel, yet it is as light as twig. Using this tree was worth every minute I spent with it. It also helped me become more patient. For so much of my life I was used to receiving want I wanted or needed immediately, but I was forced to see making this staff through one day at a time."

Tails handed the staff back to Elias. "That's pretty cool," Tails said. "That's way longer than it took me to build my plane."

Elias glanced over at Amy's open eyes nodding to her. After seeing this Tails turned towards her as well.

Amy slowly lifted herself from the ground, taking care to keep the blanket wrapped around her. She approached the two figures who were bathed in the fire's yellow light.

Seeing her approach Tails got up off of the wooden crate he was sitting on to greet her. "Amy how are you feeling?"

"Fine I suppose," she responded unenthusiastically. "How did I end up here?"

"That would be my doing," Elias said as he too stood up. "You should have never followed me, you could have died."

"I am sorry, Elias, I did not mean to be a burden on you. Thank you for saving my life."

"Do not thank me," Elias replied. "Thank Tails, he took care of you."

"Thanks Tails," Amy said as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek."

Elias laughed out loud as the fox turned bright red.

"Heh no problem, Amy," Tails answered bashfully.

"Well now that you are looking much better, I am off to find my sister." Elias said as he headed for the door.

"Wait," Tails said. "Do you need our help?"

"This is something I would prefer to do myself."

"Elias, Give this to Sonic, Amy said as she produced a power ring from her pocket. With a light toss she threw it towards the waiting hands of Elias.

"Thanks Amy, I will. Tails you take care of Amy. I would also suggest you go find Simmons and tell him to keep an eye out for Sally."

Elias hadn't even given Tails a chance to respond before walking out the door. It was as if it was an order. Tails looked back over at Amy and asked "Do you feel up to this?"

"I am fine now, but I need to put on some dry clothes."

"I have a spare jump suit and rain parka" Tails suggested as reached for his bag.

Amy accepted the clothes and walked towards the fireplace. Tails was startled when she began to remove her blouse and he quickly averted his eyes. He had a feeling she was glancing over he shoulder to check on him, but he was too afraid to look.

"Thanks again Tails," she said from behind

When Tails turned around he couldn't help but snicker at Amy's new attire. The jump suit was at least one size to big and the rain parka she wore over it went well pas her knees.

"It's very warm" Amy added in response to his laugh.

"Glad I could help Amy."

Amy leaned in again to kiss him, but this time on the lips. Tails hadn't seen this coming and he had no idea what to do other than return it.

Amy took a step back in surprise. She felt what she had always wanted to feel. She felt what she had wanted to feel when Sonic kissed her. Tails cared about her, but she was sure she could never get him to admit it. _No matter, I know your secret now, _she thought.

"I am sorry I didn't mean to…" but Tails couldn't find the words.

It was Amy's turn to laugh, as Tail's face turned a red so bright it matched the color of her the blouse she was holding in her hand, "It's okay, Tails, I didn't mind. We should probably get going, we need to find Simmons."


	34. Chapter 34 When it Rains

Chapter 34 – When it Rains-

The general struggled to carry the weight of his friend. He was nearly to the hanger and he had hoped Colin or some of his men would still be there. A voice called out from behind him, "General!"

He recognized the voice; after all he had spent an hour plane ride with him. The fox and an oddly dressed pink hedgehog were approaching him from the alley. "Tails, how good to see you."

"General, is everything alright?" Tails asked staring at the wounded soldier in his arms.

"I am afraid not. This is my friend Sergeant Davis. Dr. Robotnik got to him with his mind control device but luckily Sonic was able to stop him. Unfortunately not without consequences," The general responded motioning to Davis' injured head.

"General, have you seen Princess Sally anywhere?"

"In fact I have. She is very lucky to be alive I might add. Your friend Sonic saved her at what sounded like the last second."

"But she is still alright?"

"She was as well as could be expected last I saw of her. Now if you will excuse me I need to find medical attention for my friend," the general said turning back towards the hanger door, which was no more than a half a block away.

"Let us help you!" Amy shouted out after the general.

"Of course, I believe we need all the help we can get right now."

When the three of them arrived at the hanger door Simmons balanced Davis in one hand while he pounded on the hanger door with the other. The general grew hopeless, as the door remained motionless. _No, someone must be here, _he thought. Just as the general was about to turn away the door squeaked to life moving to the side ever so slowly.

Simmons rushed his friend inside to the waiting crowd and began shouting for a medic. In no time one appeared from the back of the crowd. Simmons rested Davis gently on the floor while the medic began to examine him.

Nearly all of his soldiers were present in the room along with Colin whom stood front and center. One of his men immediately stepped forward to address him, "Sir, what happened to the sergeant?"

The general recognized the man as Vincent, one of his considerably more loyal but all be it reckless soldiers. "It would seem that doctor Kintobor is not as friendly as we had assumed."

Vince immediately turned on Snively, picking him up by his collar. "What about Colin then, is he to be trusted as well?"

Colin's legs flailed as he was lifted nearly two feet off the ground by the large soldier. "The Crates! Check the crates!" he said through his constricted throat. Vince glanced over at the crates and then at his General.

"Vince, put him down," Simmons said. "He is the only reason we are still alive. The rest of you, check the crates."

Snively collapsed to the floor when Vincent released him. Had he not been used to such treatment, he may not have been so quick to his feet.

"It seems I forgot to pack a few of your things," Sinvely said with satisfaction.

One of the men opened the crate and turned to the general, "Weapons Sir, all weapons."

Vince approached the crate and removed a large machine gun. "Sir, will we be fighting today?"

"It is a distinct possibility gentlemen," Simmons said. Turning towards Snively the general asked, "Colin are the shuttles ready to launch?"

"Yes, they are. Just as soon as everyone and everything is on board.

The generals hair stood on end for a moment as nearly every weapon was cocked and pointed directly at him. It was not until he realized the weapons were trained on what was standing behind him that he had the courage to speak. _They are aiming at Tails, not me. As if things could gotten any worse._

Vincent shouted, "Sir, please move, there are enemies behind you."

"Stand down!" the general shouted as he waited for all of the weapons to be lowered. "They are here to help us and I expect you to treat them as comrades and nothing less.

Vincent approached the strangers, "But Sir, what help will they be? I could easily pick either of them up with just one hand."

Both Tails and Amy scowled at the large soldier as he approached indicating their distaste for his words. Tails locked eyes with him as he reached down and placed a large hand on his shoulder.

"Vincent I would advise you not to upset our help," the general suggested.

Ignoring the general Vincent proceeded towards Tails, somewhat fascinated by the two tailed fox. When it was clear that he had every intention of trying to pick him up, Tails grabbed the soldiers arm and twisted it in such a fashion that it forced him to his knees. Tails then used all of this strength to pick the soldier up and heave him back towards the other men.

Immediately all of the guns were again trained on Tails, but the general said nothing this time. Tails slowly approached Vincent and when he was standing over him offered him a hand up. "I don't believe we started out very well," Tails said holding his hand out stretched towards the solider that was still lying on his back dumb founded.

All of the soldiers lowered their weapons in surprise.

"The names Tails," the fox said still holding out his hand.

"Vincent," the solider responded reaching up for the fox's hand, "But everyone calls me Vince."

Tails helped pull the solider off the ground and then returned to Amy's side. "That was amazing," Amy whispered to him.

"As you can see," the general began, "These strangers are no slouches. Tails, among others, is responsible for saving my life. I expect you to treat them like you would your brother. They are here to help and have already helped in ways that I will explain latter. I know this is very sudden for all of you, I only ask that you trust me as all of our lives depend on it."

The general looked his men over until it was clear they understood before he continued, "Men, those of you with families please step to the left."

All but eight men had moved to his right, and he turned to address them first. "Please see to it that your Family's and the remainder of our passengers find their way to the ships safely. You have my permission to use whatever force is necessary to ensure your safety and the safety of others. Additionally, I grant you the permission to shoot Dr. Kintobor on site should you see him."

At once all of the men spoke up quickly in a large roar, "What about our oath?"

"I assure you, this man is not one of us. He lacks a heart, the essential quality required for being a human. I will except all responsibilities for his death, should it occur."

The general then turned towards the remaining eight men, "The rest of you will be coming with me. We will be protecting the others from the outside. It is absolutely imperative that we maintain control of this building."

Vince, being one of the eight stepped forward, "Sir there are only eight of us, How do you expect us to fight endless numbers of robots?"

Looking over at Tails and Amy, Simmons responded, "By my count there are eleven of us. The three of us will be joining you. While I know what I ask of you appears insurmountable, I am sure that Colin will help us however he can as well. If we do not succeed here today, then all is lost. We have but one option, and failure is not it."

Snively then stepped forward in front of the men, "General if you don't mind." With a nod from Simmons he turned towards the general's men and continued, "I can almost assure you that some of you will encounter what we call SWAT bots. These robots are well trained killing machines, many of which I built myself. However, they have weaknesses. For starters they will never show fear meaning that they will charge headlong into a battle that they know cannot be won. Moreover they cannot predict your actions beyond a statistical calculation. Being human and acting accordingly is you best defense. I will do all I can to confuse them or shut them down all together. However, Doctor Robotnik… or Kintobor as you know him controls the vast majority of them. The blasters they use while deadly can be stopped with armor, just the same as your weapons," Snively said while motioning to the other crate the soldiers had not yet opened. "As a final note, do not attempt to use the SWAT bots weapons, they are rendered useless upon the robots destruction."

"You heard him," the general said. "Put on you flack vest." The general paused for a moment peering down at his watch, which had stopped. _It seems that EMP worked too well. _

"Have mine Sir," Tails said from behind.

Simmons turned to see the fox offering his watch in his out stretched hand. Graciously accepting the gift the general turned back towards his men, "I want all of you back here with in the hour ready to leave. If it is not imperative to this mission leave it behind. You all have your orders. Move out!"

The general's orders echoed throughout the hanger as the men collected their gear as they strode off towards their obective. A gentle patter of rain on the roof slowly began to fill in the silence after they left, leaving just eleven of them.

The General stood next to Tails, and the two of them stared out the open hanger doors and watched as the rain fell. Vince approached Tails from behind and stood at his side. "Tails, I am sorry for the way I treated you earlier."

Tails nodded, accepting the soldier's apology, as he continued to stare out into what would likely become a battlefield. Vince turned to the general handing him a flack jacket, "For you sir." Simmons accepted the vest with a sigh.

"What is it Sir?" Vince asked.

"It's just one of those days."

"Well Sir, you know what they say," Vince said as he stared out into the rain. "When it rains."

"It pours," Simmons added with a somber look on his face.

Sonic sat patiently waiting for the two siblings to finish greeting each other. But patience was never a virtue he possessed, especially when it involved him getting wet. Sally and Elias continued to embrace each other even after it started raining. Feeling left out Sonic took a seat an old car bumper waiting for the two to finish.

"Hey! You two! I would love to sit out here in the rain all day, but don't you think we should move this reunion some place in side." Sonic shouted.

After hearing him, both Sally and Elias walked over to him.

"Sorry Sonic, it's I haven't seen my brother in well… you know how long. It's one thing to hear he is still alive and entirely another to see him alive."

"I understand Sally," Sonic replied. "I am just not a fan of sitting in the rain, after all you know what they say."

"When it rains, it pours?" Elias asked.

"No," Sally responded, "A soggy hedgehog is an unhappy hedgehog." The two of them laughed.

Sonic sighed. He would have loved to say something witty, but he thought better of it considering Sally had just reunited with her brother.

Their laughter however was quickly broken up by several load cracks in the distance. All three of them looked towards the direction it came from, listening closely for the sound again. A moment passed, but then a new volley of sounds emerged.

"Is that gunfire?" Sally asked.

Both Sonic and Elias replied simultaneously, "Yes."

"C'mon," Sonic said "We need to give them a hand."

"No Sonic, we don't," Sally responded.

"Sally," Elias said with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, "I too think it would be best if we helped the Overlanders escape safely. Tails told me of this general Simmons and he is in need of our help."

Sally let out a large sigh, "Fine! But the two of you better watch out for each other!"

Elias and Sonic both grinned at each other.

"Please stay close until we get close to the fight Sally I don't want anything to happen to you again."

"What he said," Sonic added.

The three of them took off at a brisk pace down the alleyway towards sounds of gunfire with no idea of what they might find.


	35. Chapter 35 The Beginning of the End

Seems that writing the end of this story is considerably more difficult than I thought. More soon.

Cheers,

* * *

Tails sat patiently around as the soldiers paced anxiously out side the building. The rain did not seem to phase anyone, least of all the General. Tails joined him at his side.

"You could be waiting inside you know," Tails remarked.

"And so could you," the General replied. "It's as if the rain is washing all of this guilt off me, numbing it."

The medic who had been treating Davis walked out into the rain and stood at attention in front of the General. "Sir, Davis will be okay. However, I will need to get him onboard the ship as soon as possible."

"Of course," the General replied before pausing. "…Private, be sure to restrain him."

"Excuse me Sir?"

"Restrain him Private, that's an order! He is not acting of his on accord, and it would be a shame for him to hurt anyone else in his condition."

"I understand. See you aboard, Sir."

Only Tails could hear the General whisper, "Lets hope so."

Tails glanced back over at Vince who was fiddling with the action of his gun. Whether it was the excitement or the anticipation Tails only knew that he was the most on edge of the eight. Tails looked at the others, most of whom were still unsure of what to think. He exchanged uneasy glances with the lot of them, no doubt as a result of his 'differences.'

Tails ducked behind a large box when he saw one of the General's soldiers sign something. Tails wasn't sure exactly what he said, just that it meant he had seen something.

Sure enough Tails could hear the robotic clank of a SWAT bot approaching. The surge of adrenalin he felt heightened his senses, just as it always did. His hearing improved, his sight sharper, and his reflexes bordered on near precognition. _Sonic may have his speed,_ Tails thought, _but I have this. _ It was as if he could hear each individual rain drop. The sound of Amy's breath and heart rate indicated that she was also feeling apprehension. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Tails often found that the only times he truly felt alive was when he was close to danger.

Tails focused his mind and concentrated on the metallic footsteps as they approached. A second set of footsteps quickly emerged, but they where not metallic. He could hear the thick rubber soles splash through the muddy streets moving towards their enemy until they both came to a stop.

"Citizen please discard your weapon and return to your quarters immediately," the Robotic voice requested.

"Oh c'mon give me a break," Vince replied. "Me and the boys where just out for some target practice. Unfortunately for you though, we ran out of targets."

The three successive reports of Vince's gun where nearly deafening to Tails. His hand shot up to protect his ears, but it was no use, the ringing was already in his head. As he peered out around the corner he could see Vincent standing over the SWAT bot smiling to himself, "They aren't so tough."

"Was it necessary?" the General called out.

"What Sir?"

"There was no need to alert them of our coupe so quickly. Surely Kintobor will send more."

"Sorry Sir."

"No matter, what's done is done. You have only brought the inevitable upon us sooner, I suppose there is no reason to wait. Dig in men, that will not be the last of them."

_That's for sure, _Tails thought to himself as he watched dozens of SWAT bots pour into the street. Tails could make out the sound of their thunderous feet as they stampeded toward their location. Their numbers were nearly countless. Tails began to approach Vincent to pull him back behind cover but was forced to duck out of the way of blaster fire.

Tails could tell the man either had a death wish or thought he was invincible. He had positioned himself out in the open firing hastily at any opponent that was within his sight. Tails could see sparks flying at the end of the street as the projectiles connected with their targets. His hearing had finally adjusted to roar of the gun, keenness intact. Tails could hear everything from the orders being shouted to the spent shell casings bouncing on the pavement. But one sound was unmistakable, even amongst all of the other noise.

Vincent wasn't quick enough to realize that his gun had jammed. Tails could see from where he was standing that a shell was jammed sideways. After several failed trigger pulls the solider flipped his gun on its side to see the problem for his self, but he knew by then it was too late.

* * *

Seeing the SWAT bot take aim Vince did the only thing he could do, protect himself. He threw his weapon up in front of himself out of instinct as if to block the shot. He could barley make out the sound of the low pitched _thunk, _but he certainly felt it as it tore his weapon out of his hands leaving him defenseless. The next shot hit him square in the chest sending him backwards into a mud puddle. The vest he wore had done its job, but by no means spared him any of the agony. He winced with pain as he opened his eyes only to find his opponent standing over him. The bot lowered its weapon so that he was staring nearly directly down its barrel. _Well this is it I suppose,_ he couldn't help but think.

* * *

Tails had been sprinting as soon as he saw Vince take the second hit. He was only able to tackle the SWAT bot moments before it finished him off. Tails wrestled the bot to the ground, knowing full well that they were completely defenseless on their backs. Once on the ground the SWAT bot proved no match for Tails. With a firm downwards kick Tails disabled the robot.

Wasting no time he immediately turned to Vince and grabbed the shoulders of his vest. He quickly dragged him back behind cover and allowed the shell shocked soldier to get a grip. Through his deep breaths Vince managed to get out, "Thanks kid."

"No problem," Tails replied as he stood back up to see how the other soldiers where faring.

Even though the street must have had well over 50 SWAT bots, the soldiers where keeping them at bay and by the looks of it without any casualties. The same could not be said for the SAWT bots however. Just as Snively had said they charged recklessly towards them only to fall in hail of gun fire.

"My gun jammed," Vince said looking up at Tails.

"I know I heard it, but perhaps if you hadn't toyed around with it so much it would not have let you down."

"Wait you herd my gun jam?"

"That's not important," Tails snapped. "Are you in this fight or aren't you?"

"Point taken," Vince replied as he reached for his side arm.

Tails looked back across the street at Amy, where she remained behind cover. She had a concerned look on her face as if she did not approve of him risking his life. Tails peeked out from behind cover counting the closest SWAT bots. He looked back over at Amy and nodded. A moment passed and she nodded back, he knew she would understand.

Without giving him a chance to respond Tails said, "Vince, cover me." He immediately dashed out from cover towards the nearest unsuspecting SWAT bot. He could hear the pops of Vince's gun behind as the robot to his left fell to the ground.

Tails focused on his target, driving his fist into the soft aluminum. His hand flared in pain, but the damage had been done. The bot teetered for a moment before collapsing. Taking no time to revel in his victory, he quickly lashed out to his right with a strong kick sending another robot backwards into a ditch.

It didn't take long for him to draw fire from the SWAT bots. He really had to focus now. He could see nearly every incoming shot and he had the reflexes to move in time, but one mistake and that was it.

Tails side stepped blaster fire from a charging SWAT bot and jumped into the air, landing on it. He pinned it to the ground and grabbed its blaster opening fire on the ranks of bots. He didn't bother to count how many fell before rolling behind cover. When he was safely behind a dumpster he took aim at the weaponless SWAT bot and pulled the trigger.

After disregarding the blaster he took a look across the street where Amy was smashing way through waves of unsuspecting SWAT bots. Each swing of her hammer dismantled two or three robots, sending parts flying in nearly every direction. Tails was finding it hard to believe a girl was besting him, but it wasn't long before she herself drew to much fire and had to retreat behind cover.

The streets were growing thicker and thicker with their enemy. It seemed hopeless, without Sonic there was nothing they could do, it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed. The sound of gunfire seemed to grow more rapid as the soldiers no doubt grew more anxious. Their enemy was closing and fast.

Tails cringed as he saw one of the soliders take a hit from the blaster. The man screamed as he fell backwards in pain. Unfortunately for the soldier, he had been hit in the arm where his armored vest would do him no good. Whether he was okay or not Tails could not tell, he had fallen out of his sight .

Tails counted to three in his head before dashing out of cover in the soldiers direction, he was only 30 yards away. Tails slid through the mud into the cover ducking below a volley of blaster fire. The solider was on the ground holding his left hand to his upper right arm. Even under his strong grip, blood flowed from the wound. Tails eyed the soldiers badge which read Private Matthews.

"Mr. Matthews, are you okay?" Tails asked, even though the answer was obvious.

"Well, I am still alive," the soldier grunted. "I'd appreciate a hand though."

Tails knelt beside the soldier ripping the right sleeve off of his uniform. Tails gently tied the makeshift bandage tightly around the soldiers arm.

"I am no medic," Tails said, "but this should help."

Tails whipped around after hearing several heavy footsteps in their direction. Tails fear subsided after Vince came into view.

"Not bad kid," Vince said as he surveyed Tails' work. "Now, I am goanna need you to cover me so I can get him out of here."

"Cover you? With what?"

Vince immediately thrusts the wounded soldiers rifle into his hand. Tails held the weapon with apprehension, as he disliked guns. They had been outlawed in Knothole and for good reason.

"Here," Mathews said. "You are going to need this too," as he removed his ammunition pouch from his belt.

Tails hesitantly accepted the pouch and then attached it to his own belt. He paused for a moment looking down at the older model rifle. It used a bolt mechanism to manually chamber the rounds unlike like Vince's machine gun. Tails had read about them in some of the schematics he found left behind by the Overlanders. The technology was ancient.

"You know how to use that kid?" Mathew asked as Vince hoisted him onto his shoulder.

Tails nodded in response. The truth was he did know how to use the weapon, but wanting to use it was another thing. It was strictly against the law for him, but he had a feeling exceptions could be made. Tails had seen a marksman patch on the soldiers uniform, which seemed to explain why he was using such antiquated weaponry. _Being a marksman takes skill,_ Tails thought to himself. _Perhaps with my reflexes I can be of some use. _ He slid the magazine out of the bottom of the rifle and checked to see that it was full and then nodded to Vince.

"Alright then," Vince began. "On the count of three. One. Two. Three!"

Tails didn't even wait to see if Vince had begun running. He peered over his cover looking down the site of his new rifle and took aim at the closes SWAT bot. He squeezed the trigger and the weapon responded with a loud crack and a brutal recoil into his shoulder. The robot exploded into a shower of sparks as the bullet easily passed through the target. Amazingly enough the bullet even found its way into a second SWAT bot further down the street.

Tails grinned with satisfaction, _If I aim well enough I can easily dispatch two ore three enemies with a single shot_. The power he felt was overwhelming, but he reminded himself that this is precisely why these weapons had been outlawed.

Tails quickly reached for the bolt, cycling in the next round. It only took him a moment to find his next set of targets. Again he reached for the trigger and watched as three more SWAT bots fell to the ground.

The process became automatic as Tails cycled round after round through the weapon until he herd the inevitable click of the firing pin striking nothing. Tails retreated behind his cover and ripped the magazine out of the bottom of the weapon. He struggled for a moment as he tried to figure out how to correctly reload it. To his dismay the ammo pouch was light and only twenty-one shots remained. _It will have to do,_ Tails thought to himself as he slid all but one bullet into the magazine.

When Tails looked out from the cover again he was surprised to see that the enemy had been anything but thinned. In fact it appeared as if there were more of them. Tails sighed deeply before bringing the weapon back to his already sore shoulder.

Tails dispensed as many SWAT bots as he could with each shot, but no matter how fast or accurate he was there always seemed to be more. He had lost count after his ninth shot, and whether he was on 17 or 18 was not important. He knew soon enough that his weapon would be out of ammo again. After just three more shots, Tails had to slink behind cover once again. _There are too many of them. What am I supposed to do with just one shot?_

"Looks like you could use some help," a voice said from behind.

Tails turned to see Elias standing behind him.

"The one you call Simmons directed me to you."

"What are you doing here Elias?"

"Lending you a hand."

"Where's Sonic?" Tails asked.

Elias lifted his gaze in response. Tails turned to follow it. A blue blur could be seen bouncing between the SWAT bots, each falling into pieces after coming into contact with it.

"Shall we?" Elias asked.

"Of course," Tails responded.

The two of them jumped back onto the battlefield. Tails dashed left clotheslining the closest SWAT bot with his rifle. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Elias had gone right and proceeded to dismantle the closest bot with his staff.

By the time Tails had disabled his third opponent with the butt of his gun the battlefield had nearly been cleared thanks to Sonic. Tails pressed his boot firmly down crushing the soft aluminum armor to ensure the SWAT bot would not move again.

He looked on as what appeared to be nearly twenty SWAT bots surrounded Sonic. Tails smirked as he watched Sonic rip them apart. Although nearly half of them had shot themselves or another SWAT bot in attempt to hit Sonic. _This must be why Robotnik wants a human army, these things are really lacking intelligence. _

Tails began to head back towards the group of soldiers. He put the rifle strap around his shoulder and casually walked by Elias who had just finished cleaving a bot in half with a whirl from his staff. Elias spat on the ground where the bot lay and took a few quick steps to catch up with Tails.

"Good work Tails," Elias said.

"I suppose," Tails Replied. "I just wish I could help more. It seems like everyone of you can take out three times as many enemies as I can…even Amy." Tails added as he motioned to the pink hedgehog who was now standing on a mound of dead robots.

"Tails you should not be concerned with how proficient you are at eliminating your enemies. This is not a competition. You should relish in the fact that you and everyone else is still alive."

"I know, it's just… I wish I could do more."

"Tails I saw the way you moved out there. You have the fastest reflexes of anyone I have ever seen. You have the ability to be a great warrior. It will just take time."

The two of them stopped when they reached the entrance to the hanger. The General was standing there surveying the damage.

"Status report!" he shouted.

"Two men injured, Sir" Vince responded. "It would also appear that the enemy has been neutralized."

"I doubt that," Sonic said as he appeared next to the General. "Butnik never gives up so easy."

"Easy!" Vince shouted. "Did you see how many there were, that was not easy!"

"Not for you," Sonic responded nonchalantly.

"Is this a game to you rodent?" Vince said as he stared down Sonic. "We almost lost two men."

"My apologies," Sonic replied. "But I assure you that that will not be the last of our enemies."

"I fear he is right Vince," the General interjected. "Go find yourself a proper weapon."

"Yes Sir." Vince said as he ran back into the hanger.

Tails and Elias both glanced down at the puddle in the street. Even amongst the falling rain drops the puddle shook with a bigger ripple. Within seconds everyone could hear it. There was no mistaking it, something was coming for them, something big.

The men turned to look down the street, but it was no use, the rain blocked out most of their visibility. The thunderous tremors slowly grew louder as they shook the earth. All of the General's men exchanged uneasy glances.

"What do you think it is Tails?" Elias asked.

"Nothing good. It never is with Robotnik."

A faint image of their opponent slowly began to emerge through the rain and fog. It was big, very big. The large mechanized robot stopped just as it came fully into view. It towered above any SWAT bot at nearly three stories tall.

Robotniks sinister voice emerged from the machine, "Well it seems as if you had your fun, but now it's my turn."


	36. Chapter 36 Dreadnought

Vince emerged from the hanger and looked down the street. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw the machine, but he quickly changed the look on his face before shouting, "Sir, Let me handle this!"

Vince rushed past all of the other soliders carrying a very large missile launcher.

"What on earth is that?" the General shouted.

"My weapon, Sir!"

"I was thinking of something more practical. However, considering the current threat I can't really argue with you." Simmons said as he stared at Vince in disbelief.

Vince continued forward past Sonic heaving the large weapon to his shoulder.

"Hey Doc, I got a present for you!" Vince screamed at the top of his lungs.

"You should probably save your ammo," Sonic suggested.

Ignoring Sonic Vince pulled the trigger and within a second the missile was on its way towards their new enemy.

Sonic had to admit the explosion was spectacular, blinding even. He was forced to shield his eyes from the intense light. Sonic looked on as the smoke cleared, _Could it have really been that easy? _Sonic thought.

To nearly all of the soldiers surprise the robot remained standing in its place untouched by the blast. Vince dropped his weapon in disbelief, "Impossible."

"You should have listened to the hedgehog," Robotnik chuckled.

"I'll handle this," Sonic said.

Sonic slowly approached the large machine staring down Robotnik through the tined glass of the pilot seat. "This your new toy doc? Hope I don't break it like all of the other ones."

"Confident as usual Hedgehog. This is my dreadnought. My finest creation yet! It is impervious to any weapon and has nearly limitless power."

Sonic yawned before replying, "Isn't that what you said the last hundred and one times?"

"Silence!" Robotnik bellowed. "I will make all of you bow down to me."

"Alright," Sonic said. "Lets just get this over with so we can all go home."

"So arrogant!" Robotnik replied snidely. "Even after your last defeat."

Sonic tightened his grip. His last encounter with Robotnik was hardly what he wanted to call a defeat. _Time to see what this thing is capable of, _Sonic thought. As he was about to take another step forward Sally's voice called out from behind him. "Stop right there Sonic Hedgehog!"

Sonic spun around to face Sally with a confused look on his face.

"And just what do you think you are about to do?" Sally said still sounding almost angry.

Sonic had a bewildered look about him as if he wasn't sure how to respond, "Blow up the big robot?"

"Wrong! I agreed to let you help them when I was reasonably sure you could win. But that," Sally yelled pointing towards the giant mech, "…that changes everything! You nearly got yourself killed fighting one on one with Robotnik earlier and now you have the nerve to believe you can do it when he is in a ten ton robot?"

"It's more like thirty," Robotnik interrupted.

Sally shot the Doctor a stern glance before continuing, "I refuse to let you fight him."

Sonic looked past Sally at the concerned soldiers.

"Sally, abandoning everyone now would be no different than having abandoned them ten minutes ago. Their fate rest in our hands and I refuse to let them die knowing I could have helped," Sonic replied as he approached Sally. He took a hold of her shaking hands and held them tightly.

"I will never leave you Sal," Sonic added has he kissed her gently on her forehead.

Sally stared into his eyes for a few moments before looking back at the desperate soldiers. When she turned back to face him her appearance had changed to a somewhat more understanding look.

"You must promise that you will come back to me," Sally said softly. "No matter what."

"You know me Sal, I don't make promises I can't keep."

Sally smiled, "I am going to hold you to this one."

Sonic slowly let go of her hands, trying his best to savor every bit of their time together. He had every intention of winning, but had no doubt that it was going to involve more pain. _No matter, _he thought, _pain is a small price to pay for freedom._ When Sally had retreated to a safe distance he turned to face Robotnik again.

"Well, well, now that you have the blessing of the princess can we continue?" Robotnik laughed.

"Do you always find yourself this funny?" Sonic asked mockingly.

Robotnik's response was swift but not in the form of words. The mech raised its right arm, which had a rather large cannon attached to it, and fired. Sonic jumped sideways just before the blast hit, leaving a sizeable crater where he once stood.

"That the best you got?" Sonic inquired.

Robotnik raised the dreadnoughts left arm barring yet another cannon and immediately began to open fire with both of them.

Sonic began to run towards the towering giant, zigzagging, making it impossible for Robotnik to predict where to shoot. As he gathered his speed he took a leap into the air and aimed for the mech's leg. Even with one of his best spin dashes he didn't even manage to dent what he would have assumed to be the weakest part of his enemy.

"Sorry Hedgehog there is no easy way out of this one," Robotnik laughed.

_We will se about that, _Sonic thought to himself as Sonic produced the power ring Elias had handed him. Even the toughest of armor wouldn't be a mach for him a power ring.

"I don't think so hedgehog!" Robotnik yelled as he swung the dreadnoughts fist towards Sonic. Had he not been concentrating on the power ring, Sonic may have been able to move in time. The blow caught him in the shoulder sending him sideways and knocking the ring from his hands. Sonic screamed in pain as he hit the ground. His broken rib from his earlier fight was doing nothing to help his situation.

Sonic struggled to get back to his feet and did the best he could to appear unhurt. Even amidst all the commotion he could hear Sally's screams. When he was on his feet again he bound back towards the dreadnought even faster than before. _If I can't win with speed and power then I am going to need to trick him._

He quickly spotted several hundred feet of steel cable. In the blink of an eye Sonic had grabbed hold of the end of the cabal and wove it in-between the dreadnoughts legs in an attempt to trip the oversized SWAT bot. Sonic knew the idea was stupid, but simpler things had worked in the past.

Sonic stood out in the middle of the street taunting Robotnik. He watched with anticipation as the dreadnought moved forward straining the cable. For a moment the large mech remained motionless under the pressure, but the steel cable was no match for the power of the machine and it snapped like yarn sending razor sharp coils in all directions.

"Pathetic!" Robotnik announced.

Sonic knew he was outmatched, but that changed nothing. _I still have to win. We always find a way._

"I know what you're thinking Hedgehog," Robotnik said as he continued to take steps closer to Sonic, shaking the earth in process. "You're thinking that you can somehow find a way to win, just like you always do."

Sonic stared back at him in silence.

"Well you can't. I have spent years analyzing you and what you're capable of and there is nothing you can do to win."

The mech loomed overhead preparing to strike. Sonic stood in place until the very last second only narrowing escaping the dreadnoughts fist which buried its way into the ground. He dashed between the robots legs and bound up the building behind it. While Robotnik was still unaware of where he was he dove off the building in an attempt to land on the top of the mech. _With any luck there will be an off switch on this thing,_ Sonic thought as he leapt through the air.

As he was falling towards Robotnik, the mech spun around seemingly fully aware of his position. Sonic gritted his teeth as he saw the incoming steel fist, knowing fully there was no way he could maneuver his way out of its path.

The initial impact didn't hurt as bad as he had anticipated. It was the second impact with ground, which was fast approaching that he was concerned with and rightfully so. Even though his left shoulder bore the brunt of the fall his entire body cried out in pain. He was sure that at least three more of his ribs had broken and his right arm was also in a questionable state.

Sonic knew the dreadnought was standing above him, but as hard as he tried he could not convince his body to move. Sonic could taste the bitterness of his own blood. He slowly pulled himself up to his hands and knees and spit the red liquid out onto the ground. With all of his determination he forced himself to stand up refusing to accept defeat.

"I must admit Hedgehog it's been fun all of these years. I could have never dreamed of such a worthy adversary, but here you are at my feet, beaten. I would almost like to think I'll miss you, but we both know that's not true." Robotnik said as he drew the mech's fist back for one final blow.

Sonic could the see incoming attack, but he was still to disoriented and in too much pain to move. He knew Sally was going to be angry with him. After all he had promised he would come back and as much as he wished it were true, that did not look like it was going to happen anymore.

Just as the dark steel hand swung in to make its final blow Sonic felt a set of hands push him from behind. He fell to the side and out of the way of what surly would have been the last of him. His mind raced with uncertainty, _who pushed me out of the way? _Even as he fell he could hear the impact as the cold fist connected with his savior. Sonic turned to face his friends, but he wished he hadn't. Their gaze fell elsewhere.

Sonic didn't even have to look. He screamed her name as he turned to follow the staring eyes, "Sally!"

She lay motionless in a puddle of mud resting against the wall of a building.

"No!" Sonic screamed.

Sonic didn't know what to feel. It was as if his life didn't matter anymore. Elias had already rushed to her side. He felt useless, like everything he was doing or had done amounted to nothing. _After all this and she's… gone. _

"See what happens when you get your friends involved Hedgehog." Robotnik said as he cackled. "Someone always gets hurt."

Sonic went white hot with rage, like nothing he had ever felt before. He tore his eyes away from Sally who was now being cradled in Elias' arms. When he made eye contact with the Doctor, Robotnik spoke again, "It would appear you have reached your limit, Hedgehog."

Sonic lost it, his sides began to split and he burst out laughing in an uncharacteristic way. Everyone's eyes slowly shifted to Sonic, no doubt curious to see why he was laughing so madly.

"Limit!" Sonic screamed between chuckles. "You don't know the first thing about my limit."

Sonic kneeled down and picked up the power ring, which lay conveniently in front of him. Then he closed his eyes breathed deeply as he absorbed the power. He felt it rush through him multiplying everything, including his rage. In that moment he felt invincible. When Sonic opened his eyes again it was only to the sight of the gently flowing river he had crossed earlier. He wasn't confused though; he knew exactly how he had gotten there, speed. Sonic turned around, he could see straight into the heart of the city. _Heh, he won't see this coming._

_

* * *

  
_

Everyone looked on as the power ring glowed brightly in Sonic's hand. But in less than a blink of an eye he was gone. Everyone including Robotnik looked around equally confused. _Sonic is fast, _Tails thought, _but he just disappeared. _

"Well, it would seem your savior has abandoned you, what a shame." Robotnik said casually after a moment.

"We wont go down without a fight!" Simmons responded hastily.

"I should hope not. Now lets not delay the inevitable any longe…"

Tails watched as the left half of the robot nearly exploded as it slammed into the side of a building. The robot collapsed under the ensuing pile of rubble into a cloud of dust. A loud thunder like crack followed shortly thereafter trailing down the street forcing everyone's hands to their ears.

When the dust finally settled Sonic could be seen standing in the street motionless. The soldiers all cheered for him, but Tails could tell even though he won it could never be a victory with Sally gone. Sonic slowly walked towards the chanting crowd, ignoring them. He pushed his way through General's men towards Elias.

"Sally," he said softly as he reached for her hand. "Why did you do that? I was supposed to be the one protecting you!"

"Sonic, there was nothing you could do, she ran out there to save you. But…" but Elias was cut off.

Sonic ignored him as if he wasn't even talking, "What am I going to do with out you Sally? I know you said you would hold me to my promise, but this was going to far."

Sonic ran his hands through her long red hair trying to cope with everything, "Sally, I, I…"

"Love you," Sally faintly replied, "I know you do."

The look on Sonic's face changed too quickly for Tails to follow, but he knew above all else he was happy.

"Sally you're, you're…"

"Alive" Elias added. "She was knocked unconscious I tried to tell you that before. With luck she will be fine, but for now she needs to lie down."

The crowd turned around as they heard the sound of screeching metal. Everyone was silent as they all watched in horror as the rubble pile came to life. The dreadnought reemerged nearly unrecognizable but still functioning.

"HEDGEHOG! You can't beat me, face it!"

Tails could hear some of the men shouting, "What are we going to do, Sir?"

"I told you we are not going down without a fight, and I meant it." Simmons shouted back at them.

"Sir, we only have a few rounds between the six of us."

"Vince!" Simmons yelled. "Where is that unnecessarily large weapon of yours?"

"I only had one shot, Sir," Vince replied, disappointed.

Tails looked down at his rifle as he palmed his last round of ammunition. Slowly everyone turned to Sonic who was still holding Sally's hands. No doubt Sonic could feel dozens of eyes burning into the back of his head.

"I know all of you want my help, but he is right." Sonic announced. "I can't beat him. I gave it everything I had and nearly lost everything. There is nothing I can do anymore."

"It's okay Sonic," Sally said. "I know you gave everything you had, that's all we can ask for."

"I spent every drop of energy I had trying to destroy him, thinking that it might bring you back," Sonic said as a tear rolled down his face. "Now that I know you are okay I just wish I could do more."

Tails turned back to face the dreadnought as it slowly approached on its crippled legs. He looked it up and down scanning for some weakness. It was faint, but Tails swore he could see a pale green glow emanating from the shattered armor. The robots lower left side was almost entirely torn off, providing a clear view of its innards. As it moved closer Tails became more sure, _the power source,_ he thought to himself_._

"You know what I am going to do, General?" Robotnik shouted. "I am going to tear your ships to shreds so that perhaps you will think twice about betrayals. You can suffer as everyone else dies for your mistakes."

Tails fiddled with the round in his hand before placing it in the chamber. He methodically closed the bolt on the rifle, calming his breathing. He raised the rifle to his shoulder and peered down its sites, _time to concentrate I only have one shot._

"Betrayals! You! You are the one who betrayed us, and not just now." the General shouted back. "Twenty-five years ago you destroyed the very project that would have saved our planet. Hid its success away from us, all so you could rule the world. You betrayed your brothers and for that you must die!"

"I do not believe you are in any position to be making threats General."

"But I am." Tails said.

Everyone turned to look at Tails as he pulled the trigger. The loud report was followed by a deafening silence as the boom echoed off of the surrounding buildings. All of the soldiers looked on expecting a response from Robotnik, but none was to be had. Tails could swear that he heard the faint shouting of what sounded like, "No, this can't be. I can't lose to them!"

After what seemed like an eternity the dreadnought burst into a gigantic fireball. Everyone ducked down to avoid the ensuing explosion. The heat was almost too intense to bare and just when it seemed like none of them could take any more, the fiery explosion subsided.

The soldiers immediately began to cheer upon seeing the dreadnought in flames. Even Simmons knew there was no coming back from that.

"Sir, is everyone alright?" a solider shouted as he emerged from the hanger. "We heard an explosion."

"Private Harris," Simmons shouted rubbing his ears, no doubt a result of the explosion. "Everything is fine now but we could use some medics. Is everyone safely aboard the ships?"

"Yes Sir, just as you requested. I will see to the medics Sir," the soldier responded as he ran back inside.

"Excellent news, excellent news," Simmons said to himself as he felt a wave of relief pour over him. He hadn't realized it before, but it wasn't the rain washing away his guilt, it was his ability to feel the future. It had been trying to tell him everything would be all right, but he just wasn't listening, and perhaps he wasn't supposed to.

Simmons approached Tails who was hoisted high above the soldier's heads as they paraded him around even to the fox's dismay.

"Attention!" he shouted.

His men released Tails and fell in line.

"I wish there was an award that could reflect the courage all of you showed today," Simmons began, pausing extra long as his eyes met Tails'. "All of you were ready to give everything to fight for our brothers," he added as he looked at the two soldiers resting against a rock keeping pressure on their wounds. "I could never ask anything more from you. You are dismissed. Please ready your things, We are going home."

The men cheered loudly again as they ran past him back into the hanger. Simmons approached Tails, "I do not believe I will be needing this any longer," he said as he presented Tails with his watch.

"Keep it," Tails said. "Its my gift to you."

"I feel as if I owe you too much already to accept a gift. You saved my life… twice. You saved us all."

"I would like to think you would have done the same."

"I wish I could say for certain that I would have."

Simmons paused for a moment before removing his own watch.

"Here take this. It's not much, but it's been my family for centuries. It would mean a lot to me if you had it."

Tails reached out his hand and accepted the gift.

"It's broken," Tails said with concern in his voice.

"The EMP I am afraid. But I know how you like to fix things. Perhaps you will be able to make work again, I know I could not."

Tails attempted to smile, "Thankyou, this means a lot to me."

"What's wrong, you don't look alright."

"Just yesterday I can remember wanting nothing more than to see that man dead," Tails said before pausing. "I just never thought I would be the one to…"

"I understand," Simmons replied. "It's not supposed to feel good. I am not going to tell that this feeling will go away quickly either. Just know that you did the right thing."

"Try not worry so much," Snively said as he approached the two of them. "His death falls on my hands."

"What do you mean?" Tails asked.

"In the past Robotnik always ran when his machines failed him. I took the liberty of requiring him to stay and fight," Snively replied as he threw a set of wires and computer chips on the ground.

Tails picked them up and examined them.

"The failsafe," Snively continued, "is what would have allowed him to eject before the power core went critical. I only wish I had time to do more sabotage work. This machine was unlike any I have ever seen him build, a true masterpiece. I can only imagine what it took to bring it down."

Tails lifted his eyes from the equipment and stared back at Snively.

"Thankyou," Tails said calmly before turning to walk away leaving just Snively and the General.

* * *

Simmons turned towards Snively, "I don't suppose I could interest you in a spot aboard my ship?"

"I am afraid not," Snively responded as he stared where his mentor for 15 years lay in the burning wreckage.

"I am sorry for you loss," Simmons said as he turned to walk away.

"Don't be," Snively said chasing after him. "He may have been the only family I had, but over the years he lost all of the sanity he once possessed. I couldn't see any other way for this to end. Besides who else is going to clean this place up for your return?"

Simmons stopped and turned towards Snively, "You would do that?"

"Of course, what else do I have to live for?"

"I don't know what we would do without you Colin. Your mother will be so proud when she hears this."

"My, my mother?"

"You didn't know? I am not surprised Dr. Kintobar didn't tell you. She is aboard one of the ships still stranded in space."

Snively's eyes began to well up with tears, "Well then, I guess we should get you on your way, you don't want to keep them waiting any longer."

"No, no we don't."


	37. Chapter 37 Home Again

The rain had finally begun to fade as the sun peaked through the clouds above. Slowly the sound of the water hitting the Earth's surface subsided until there was only the sound of busy soldiers. Tails wiped the water from his brow as he approached Private Matthews who lay on the ground in a stretcher.

Tails took a seat next to him placing the rifle in his lap. He examined it while the solider lay there with his eyes shut. After a few moments the resting man opened his eyes to see the kit staring down at him.

"Hey kid, glad you stopped by. I never really got a chance to thank you."

"My pleasure," Tails responded as he held out the rifle for the solider to take back.

Tails was surprised when Matthews refused, waving his hands in disagreement.

"Tails isn't it?" Matthews asked.

Tails nodded in reply still holding the weapon out for him to take.

"I could never take it back," Mathews responded. "When a shot such as that is fired with a weapon, both the wielder and the weapon become bound in the pages of history. I have no right to take the weapon back, you deserve it more than me."

"What is a soldier without his weapon?"

"In this case, he is an injured one."

Tails ran his fingers across the breach on the barrel noting the inscription, which read 'Miles'.

"Miles?" Tails asked looking down at the rifle.

"Yes, it's been my nick name since I was a child. When the weapons are issued to us, our name is inscribed. Why do you ask?"

Tails paused for a moment before answering, "It's my name too, but everybody calls me Tails."

"Then it would seem as if the weapon was made for you and not me," Matthews replied. "Take care of it because it will serve as a reminder of this day for years to come."

"I don't think I will be able to keep it," Tails replied. "We do not allow weapons like these where I live.

"Tails, heroes will always have their weapons and they must not be forgotten. The history of this planet has been largely left behind, but it would seem there is a new beginning on the horizon. One that started today with the shot you fired from that weapon. You and your friends will be legends among our people."

"And if I don't want to be?"

"Few ever want to be, Tails. Most would prefer to live as the humble servants to the people they already are. However, inevitably through no choice of their own they will except the fact that they were born to do greater things than the rest of us."

Tails watched as two other soldiers approached to pick up the stretcher Matthews was lying on. He quickly slung the rifle around his shoulder and stood up as the soldiers picked up the stretcher.

"Perhaps we will meet again, Tails. It would seem as if it is my time to go."

Tails removed a pouch from his belt and walked along with the soldiers as they carried him towards the hanger. "Thank you Mr. Matthews. I know we will see each other again," Tails said

"Please Tails, call me Miles."

"Of course."

As the soldiers approached the ramp to the space shuttle, Matthews said "Until next time."

Tails stood at the base of the ramp looking up as the wounded solider was loaded onto the ship.

"Thanks or everything, Miles!" Tails called out as he tossed him the pouch he had removed from his belt. The private caught it with waiting hands.

"On the contrary it us who should be thanking you for everything." The soldier replied as he was carried out of view.

* * *

Sonic sat underneath the overhang of a building out of the rain holding Sally in his lap as she rested. He listened to the methodical sounds of the rained drops as they plopped into the puddles in the street.

Elias had spent the better part of the last half hour attending to Sally. Finally confident that their was nothing immediately life threatening he had moved onto inspecting him. Sonic was not too happy about this and continuously insisted that he was fine.

"I said leave me alone, I am fine," Sonic said as loud as he could in a whispering voice.

"Don't be so uncooperative, you can be anything but fine. I watched you spit out nearly a pint of your own blood. Not to mention I know you have to have at least one cracked rib!"

"What are you my mother? I am fine now…ouch!" Sonic nearly screamed as Elias prodded his side with a finger. "Hey I said leave me alone."

"Just as it appears, the fourth one down. Hold still this will just take a second."

Sonic immediately covered his side and replied, "I told you I am fine."

Elias sighed deeply, "How did my sister fall for someone so thick headed? Its obvious good looks don't account for much either. What exactly does she see in you?"

Sonic shot Elias a glance of disapproval before sighing himself, "She may have fallen for me before but it would seem those days are over."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's a long story," Sonic replied. "One that I am not particularly proud of either."

"I see. So are you going to let me have a look at your injuries?"

"For the last time no. The powering took care of them,"

"The power ring huh? Then how come when I do this," Elias said as he prodded Sonic again, "you scream in pain."

"The power ring boosts my speed, my strength, my reflexes and even my bodies ability to heal itself. So while I am still in a bit of pain, I have a feeling everything is in its correct place."

"Fine," Elias replied, "but don't complain when your shoulder never works right again."

"Ahh, there you are, Sally" the Kings voice called out.

"Dad?" Elias said in amazement. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure my princess is alright," the King replied as he joined them under the overhang out of the rain.

The King slowly knelt down to her side and put his hand on her face. Sally stirred in Sonic's lap as she opened her eyes. "Daddy," she said quietly. "I am sorry."

"Its okay my dear. We all make mistakes, I am just glad your did not cost you your life."

The King then turned to Elias and asked, "Is she alright?"

"She will be fine," Elias answered. "She just needs some rest."

"Elias, I know it is almost too late to say this, but I am proud of you. Thanks to you we can be a family again."

"Just like you, I would do anything to protect her," Elias replied.

"Good, because I won't be around for ever."

Standing back up the King surveyed the surrounding area. "Have any of you seen Simmons? I have a gift for him."

Both Sonic and Elias pointed in the direction of the hanger.

"Excellent, I will be back shortly."

Sonic looked down at Sally who was already staring back at him. "Sonic, I am sorry I never listened to you," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"When you told me that you had kissed Amy, I let my emotions get the better of me and I didn't let you explain anything. I know why you kissed her and as unhappy as I am about it, I forgive you."

Sonic looked into her vast brown eyes searching for a meaning, but he only saw the truth.

"You shouldn't be sorry, I messed up and…" but Sally put a finger on his lips to silence him.

She slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

"Seems like you two have some things to work out," Elias chuckled.

Sonic couldn't help but laugh a little himself, "Yeah so it would seem."

* * *

Simmons stood at the entrance of the hanger doing his best to direct everyone. He couldn't help but do it with a smile on his face, Something about the day just seemed to make him happy. Although it seemed all too ironic that the opposite feeling seemed to have overwhelmed him not but three hours ago. It had been far too long since he felt such warmth. Since the day his wife died he had never been the same always faking an outward positive attitude. To make matters worse his daughter had stayed behind to help those who were stranded. He was alone and hated himself for it but something deep down told him that things would be better soon.

"General Simmons, nice to see you're alive." a familiar voice called out from his left.

Simmons turned to see King Acorn approaching him slowly, with two royal guard close behind.

"Maximilian, what brings you into the path of harms way?"

"There is no limit to what a father will do to protect his daughter."

Simmons nodded in agreement.

"It would appear if you are making arrangements to leave in the near future." the King said as he looked around.

"We have a lot of people waiting for us. We can not delay any longer."

"Which is in part why I wanted to show up before you leave. May we have a word in private?"

"Of course. Lets step inside."

Simmons and the King entered the hanger while the royal guard remained positioned outside.

"It would seem with your primary concern for not returning to this planet gone, I can only assume you will be will make your way back," The King began.

"Indeed, I have little doubt that we will have trouble reaching the same conclusion."

"I trust that our agreement will remain intact then?"

"Of course! With out you, Sonic or Tails my people would be all but extinct."

"And what of the protégé of Dr. Kintobor? Will he be returning to your fleet with you?"

"Colin? No. He will not be returning with us but as you may already know without him very little of this would have been possible."

"Indeed, but am I to trust he was acting out of good nature or his own self interest?"

"Shall we ask him?" Simmons asked looking over his shoulder to where Colin stood directing people onto the ships.

"I would like to."

"Colin," Simmons shouted across the hanger.

It took him a moment to realize he was being requested but after a few moments he began to make his way over to them. In the process of shouting he had caught Tails attention as well. The young fox had been standing near the entrance of a ship when he shouted. No doubt after catching a glance of his King, the kit wondered in their direction as well.

"Yes? Is there anything I can help with?" Colin asked when he arrived.

"Colin, the King has a few questions for you."

Snively seemed to squirm under his skin before nodding.

"It has been quite some time since we last spoke Colin."

"Yes, quite some time."

"Wait you two no each other? Tails asked as he approached.

"Yes," the King replied eying the weapon strapped to Tails back, "but that was well before you were born, Tails."

"Tails, I could not help but notice you eying our ships," the General said. "Can I interest you in a trip? We could really use someone like you."

Tails smiled, "No, I am afraid not. This is my home. I was just saying my goodbye to Private Matthews."

"Of course, I was unaware that you saved his life until recently. I owe you more than I can ever repay for saving one of my men."

After several moments of silence the King then turned to back to Colin and began, "Colin, I am very thankful for all of your help. However, if you are to remain behind until their return I need to know that we can trust you."

"You mean you need to know if I will stab you in the back?"

"In a matter of speaking yes," the King replied.

"I believe those days of my life are over. My family is returning and I need to set things right. Look at our city," Snively said as he motioned out the door. "Look what that monster did to it, its in ruins. This city used to be one of pride and grandeur, but now it is crumbling beneath my feet. I understand that the animosity between us runs thick and I see your hesitance to trust the henchman of a tyrant, but I will do my best to put those days behind me."

The king smiled, "I always knew you were better person than you lead on."

Tails eyed Snively up and down before asking, "And we are going to trust him just like that?"

"Yes," Replied the King. "Bridges of these nature are not built upon doubt."

Tails reached out his hand towards Snively and said, "Then lets us begin building a bridge."

Colin hesitated for a moment before extending his hand to the fox. "You are considerably more understanding than your blue friend."

"Sonic can be thick and slow to forget, but deep down he is as good a person as any,"  
Tails replied. "I must say as one inventor to another I have admired your work for years."

Colin smiled, "As have I yours."

"If you will excuse me," the General interrupted, "It seems that the three of you can play nice with out me and we desperately need someone to direct traffic."

"General," the King shouted out. "Before you leave I have been asked to give you something by Nicole."

"Your AI system? She asked you to give me something?"

"Yes. She is considerably more human and thoughtful than people give her credit for," the King responded as he produced a small wooden box.

The King continued as he handed the box off, "She also instructed me to tell you not to open it until you were on your way home."

The General eyed the box out of curiosity. "Give her my thanks," he replied before returning back to the entrance of the hanger.

"Colin, I trust this will not be the last time we speak on good terms," the King said as looked back over at Snively.

"I should hope not," he replied as he too departed.

"Tails, I see that you are carrying around a most unusual item."

Tails immediately slid the rifle further behind his back as if to hide it.

"You know these are strictly forbidden."

"Yes, Sir," Tails replied, "But…"

"The situation called for it if heard correctly," the King interrupted.

"It did."

"And I can only assume that you wish to hold onto such a memorable item?"

"The truth Sir, I don't want to, but I feel as if it is a requirement."

"Then perhaps it is," the King replied. "Now lets go check up on my daughter."

Tails was taken aback by the Kings response. He hadn't expected him to understand.

* * *

"Hey there little cuz," Sonic shouted as Tails and the King approached, "How does it feel to be the hero?"

"Well," Tails said with a smile on his face, "I can't take all of the credit."

"You succeeded where I failed"

"But without you I could never have pulled that off."

"Well, then we can chalk it up to team work." Sonic replied.

Tails looked over at Sally who was on her feet nearly leaning on Sonic, "Sally are you feeling better?"

"As good as I can be considering the situation."

"That's my little girl," the King replied. "Just as tough as her father."

All of them laughed for a moment but their small reunion was cut short by a loud shout, "C'mon everyone aboard!"

The five of them moved back inside towards the ships. They watched as what looked to be last of the soldiers scrambled inside the belly of the shuttle. Vince and the General walked at arms length up the ramp. When they were at the top Tails could hear the general ask, "Is everyone accounted for?"

Vince saluted him and replied, "Yes, Sir."

The General then reached for a button out of their view and the ramp began to fold upwards into the ship.

"Goodbye my friends," the General shouted. "I wish we had more time together, but we will be back soon enough." The ramp then sealed the shuttle shut making further conversation impossible.

The doors at the far end of the hanger slowly opened and one by one the three ships made their way out into the fading light.

Snively soon joined them as they watched from the hanger doors as the first ship jetted down the runway and disappeared into the setting sun. The sound of the engines was unbearable and the six of them put their hands to the their ears. A short time later the next ship was in position and the Earth once again began to shake as the second ship made its way into the sky. It seemed with each disappearing ship a small piece of them left with it, but in its place, hope for a better future seemed to appear.

Only the General ship remained and it was not long before it too was lined up with the runway. All of them looked on as jets of blue flame poured out the back of the ship. The shuttle bolted down the mile long runway and quickly took flight. Just as quickly as all of the other ships had disappeared from sight, so too, did the General's. Tails had followed it as long as he could, but it was inevitable that it would slip out of his vision and into space.

There was a long silence as the six of them stood there watching the orange glow of the sky. Even in the ruins of the black and tattered city, nothing could detract from the beauty of a setting sun and the sight of their new friends departure.

"Well," said the King softly, "now it is us who must return home."

**The End...**

While this is the formal end of the story I will be posting two epilogue chapters shortly that will tie up all loose ends. One for Overlanders/Snively and another for the Mobians.

Cheers,


	38. Epilogue 1

Epilogue One

Snively awoke to the sound of his own breathing. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments listening to the gentle hum of the high voltage wires than ran throughout the building. He couldn't remember the last time he had woken up of his own accord. It felt liberating to know that the day was his. _No more fat man standing over me mocking my very existence!_

Although he still had to admit there was something missing. The only thing keeping him sane all of those years was the fact that he was able to be so close to someone who had lost their sanity. It had put things in perspective for him, but now that he was on his own, life would no doubt be different.

Snively approached his wardrobe, reaching for a blue collared shirt. The green turtleneck he had always worn only reminded him of the constricting life he had once led. He nodded to himself in the mirror as if to reassure the person standing in front of him that everything would be all right.

After lacing up his boots Snively began his trip to the command center. The long walk down the seemingly endless and empty quarters gave him time to think out loud.

"Where to begin? So much to do and so little time in which to do it?"

"First things first I suppose, out with the old. Get rid of everything that isn't important."

"Hmm that is quite a lot of buildings that are going to need to be torn down."

Snively reached down and placed his thumb on the scanner to open the door to the command center.

"Why do I even bother having security anymore? If I have learned anything by now its that those freedom fighters are too honorable for their own good."

Snively took a seat in front of the main frame and with a few key presses deactivate the entirety of the security system.

"That should speed things up. If I don't worry about security it should simplify everything. And now for the city plans," Snively said as he walked to the center of the room where a holographic display of the city had appeared.

Snively had always enjoyed designing things, but the task of rebuilding an entire city was daunting, especially for just one person.

With a few waves of his hand Snively overlaid the old city on top of the current one.

"What if I could rebuild what they once loved? Perhaps with a few modifications here and there I could restore the grandeur of this city and make it the pride of our empire."

Snively chuckled out loud as he turned towards the corner of the room. "Julian it seems you rubbed off on me too much. Look at me already talking of empires. Although I doubt the General would be very happy with me if he found out I kept you alive," Snively said as he approached the glass chamber.

"It would appear that you rid yourself of enough humanity to live through death itself."

Tapping on the liquid filled chamber where his former master remained suspended in a green glow, motionless. "Don't expect me to let you out of there anytime soon. You can stand trial for what you have done when the General gets back. You look like hell anyways," Snively noted as he ran his eyes over Robotnick's charred body.

"How you lived through a blast like that is beyond me. Perhaps you can tell me one day, but for now I have to much work to do for you to be distracting me like this."

* * *

Private Matthews sat propped upright in his bunk. He had been resting there for hours with no one to talk to. It occurred to him that nearly a whole week had probably passed since they had left Earth. Unfortunately he and his injuries were stuck on relativistic time.

Suddenly remembering the gift the young fox had given him, he reached down into his cargo pocket and produced the small leather pouch. He ran the smooth hide through his fingers savoring the feel of the supple material. He slowly untied the drawstring and carefully dumped the pouch's contents into his hand. It was a small gold octangular device with a latch on its side. Rotating it slowly a faint inscription caught his eye. He smiled as he read it, '_Miles'_.

_Huh,_ _the kid wasn't kidding after all,_ Miles thought to himself.

Mathews flipped open the latch and slowly opened the oddly shaped container. A needle swung aimlessly around underneath a nearly perfectly cut piece of crystal. Mathews laughed as he admired the craftsmanship, _as useless as a compass is in space, I can't say I have ever been given something so nice. _He couldn't help but appreciate the symbolism of the gift. They had been searching for a new home for so long, Miles couldn't help but think of the good omen a compass symbolized. Miles continued to gaze at the device, _perhaps I will see you again Tails._

Mathews watched as the needle wondered from side to side, no doubt pointing towards the closest star as the traveled at faster than light speeds through the galaxy.

* * *

The General sat upright in his chair on the bridge of the ship staring out into the blackness of space. He was alone, but he preferred it that way. He had been eyeing the small wooden box given to him by his friends, which sat on top of the computer terminal in front of him. He had been told to wait until they were underway, but how far was that?

Deciding that he couldn't wait any longer he picked up the box and opened it. His reflection stared back him on a tiny disc contained within. Confused, the General scratched his head, "Why such a fuss for a disc? What's on it that needed to wait?"

The General removed the disc from the box and slid it into the ships main computer. Instantly files began copying as the General watched the progress bars with apprehension. _This is odd, I was sure we grabbed all of the important files before we left, what could Nicole possibly want to share with me. _When the file transfer was complete the screen went blank.

The General looked on through nervous eyes watching the blinking curser against the blank black background. "What have I done? What is this?" The General said aloud.

The computer stayed blank for several moments until the text 'initializing' appeared. When Simmons had nearly lost all hope that his ships main computer would ever function the same again, a calming voice called out to him, "Greetings General Simmons."

Simmons watched in disbelief as a young girl materialized on the screen. The resemblance was uncanny to that of his own daughter. "Hi…" was all Simmons managed to reply."

"I am Ellie."

"Hi Ellie… what are you doing inside my computer?"

"Nicole programmed me to assist you and your friends."

"So you are an A.I like her?"

"No, I am more than that. I am a life form as much as you. I may not breath or feel in the same way that you do but I can think and make rational decisions. My mother has even given me the gift of emotion."

"Nicole was indeed most helpful to the Mobians I met but how is it that you plan on helping us?" the General asked still gawking in disbelief.

"I have already accessed all of your ships systems, which I can control, maintain, and repair. I am the most vigilant and intelligent navigator you will ever have. I will have faster reactions and more intuitive responses than any of your pilots. I am here to help you however I can, even if it just means talking."

The General leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen, "Unfortunaly, all of these ships are in tip top shape at the moment."

"I noticed," Ellie replied. "Recent repairs and upgrades have been made throughout your ship."

"But you will be very beneficial when we reconnect with the rest of out fleet."

"Ahh yes, my mother left me only bits of information regarding the other ships. I presume they were to badly damaged to fly?"

"Yes, many even had to be abandoned. However, when we arrive, with your help we should be able to get them all up and running in no time."

"I will do my best sir. Is there anything I can do for you in the mean time?"

"I wish I could say there was. The only thing left to do on my 'to-do' list is mope around for six weeks. My only friend is in the infirmary still unconscious, no doubt as a result of that device Julian put in his head."

"It sounds as if you blame your self," Ellie replied.

"Part of me does, but I also know that if I didn't do everything I did I may not be sitting here talking to you now. If I only knew he was going to be alright perhaps I could feel alright about everything."

"You mentioned some type of device?"

"Yes some mind control device has been shoved in his head. None of the doctors think they can remove it, nor do they know if it is currently causing any problems."

"Give me a moment," Ellie said with a smile. "All done."

"All done with what?"

"Your friend will be fine. I have disabled the device."

"You can do that?"

"Of course. I can access anything that uses a wireless signal. It's a good thing your doctors did not try to take it out, it probably would have killed him. Even more interesting is how lucky you are that he is in a coma."

"What do you mean?"

"The device is connected to a section of the brain that controls active functions. Because he was in a coma I could safely turn off the device without interrupting his thoughts. Had he been awake, it is likely he would have had a seizure or worse. Perhaps fate it is on your side."

"I am not sure I can express in words my thanks. Aside from my daughter, he is the only family I have ever had," the General said before pausing. "You look just like her you know."

"I created this image myself, but it was no doubt influenced by something my mother found. I could change my appearance if this makes you uncomfortable."

"No, that wont be necessary. I rather like seeing her, even if it isn't her. Just thinking about her and the fact that we may be able to live as a family again brightens my day."

"I look forward to meeting her."

"Yes I will introduce you to her in no time at all. However, if you will excuse me I would like to go see my friend if he is in fact better."

"Of course," Ellie responded.

Simmons got up from his chair and walked quickly to the door. Despite feeling guilty all of this time he could feel his emotions pulling him towards happiness and this must have been why. He was starting to see the full effect of his power, but only time would tell if he could harness it correctly.

"This is a very nice watch General," Ellie said.

Simmons stopped midway down a corridor confused.

"Ellie? Where are you?"

"Your watch."

Simmons looked down at the watch Tails had given him to find Ellie in the holographic display.

"How did you get in here?"

"I told you, anything that uses a wireless signal I can access. Also it would seem that this isn't the only piece of technology on this ship that was made using technology that I am familiar with either."

"You mean this isn't the only Mobian technology on board my ship?" the General asked as he resumed his walk towards the infirmary.

"No. Although it would appear that the other device is not nearly as complex as this watch, seeing as it is only a compass."

"Interesting, a compass. I wonder how it got on board."

"Your guess is as good as mine Sir."

Simmons laughed for a moment. "Please don't call me sir."

"Would you prefer General?"

"No, not in the least bit. Bill is fine."

"Very well then."

Simmons stood in front of the infirmary door for a few moments before opening the hatch. The room was just as he had left it, with his friend's unconscious body restrained to a bed. All of the medial devices were still attached to him, monitoring his vitals. A medic had noticed his arrival and approached him. "Sir," the soldier said as he saluted, "I was just about to inform you of the good news. It would appear normal brain activity has returned to Sergeant Davis' brain. He may still remain unconscious for a while but this is promising news."

The General laughed out loud for a moment while nearly producing a tear, "Good work Ellie."

The soldier stared back at him blankly, "I am First Class Sanders, Sir. Are you feeling alright?"

"Never better."

The medic departed the General's presence and Simmons took a seat next his friend. He wasn't sure how long he would be asleep, but if there was a chance he was going to wake up, he wanted to be there when it happened.

"You're welcome Bill." Ellie said

Simmons glanced down at his watch. "Thankyou for not saying anything earlier. I haven't exactly decided how to tell the men we have a new guest."

"I assumed as much."

"You really are human aren't you?"

"In a psychological sense I am as close as could be conceived, even though to you I am just programming."

"I suppose it will take some getting used to, but always having you by side should speed things up and if nothing else give me someone to talk to."

The bed in front of the General stirred for a moment as Davis' eyes opened.

"Bill, is that you?" Davis called out faintly.

"I knew you were too tough to kill," Simmons said as he leaned forward and grabbed his friend's hand.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Ellie," Simmons responded.

"No Sir, as I told you I am Private First Class Sanders," the medic said as he rushed past Simmons to Davis' side.

The medic proceded to run a battery of tests on Davis and when both were certain that he was himself the restraints were removed.

"How much do you remember?" Simmons asked as the medic waved a flashlight infront of his friends face.

"Unfortunately all of it. I was myself inside my head, but someone else was at the wheel. I tried to fight it but I had no control. I saw everything, felt everything but I had no command of my actions. To think I almost killed a Princess. Even if they were our enemies, to gun someone down in cold blood is an unbearable thought."

"Well it's a good thing everyone got away safely… well almost everyone, but Julian got what he deserved."

"So who is this Ellie you spoke of?"

The medic who was now testing Davis reflexs rolled his eyes, but Simmons ignored him.

"This is Ellie," the General said as he raised is wrist so that Davis could see his watch.

"Hello Sergeant Davis, I am Ellie."

Both Davis and the Medic stared at the device in disbelief.

"I wake up from a coma and the first thing you can think to do is pull a practical joke?"

"It's no joke," Ellie replied.

"Prove it," Sanders said sarcastically.

"Private First Class Sanders, born 2782. Both of your parents are currently located on the ship Arteries in the Ithaca system, our destination. You have served in the military since you were 17 and forged your birth certificate to do so. You were trained as a Medic only in the last three years and opted to go on this mission back to Earth. You have completed dish duty 203 times since your departure and are scheduled to do so again tomorrow night."

Sanders stared at the girl on the screen in even more disbelief, "What is that?"

"I told you, this is Ellie she is our ships XO until Davis here gets back on his feet."

"You're replacing me with a computer program?" Davis asked.

"She is a little bit more than that. She is as much as person as you or I are, just with out a physical body. You're just going to have to take my word for it," Simmons answered.

"She looks just like your…"

"I know," Simmons said cutting of Davis. "I am not sure how it is possible, but I can only assume the person who gave her to me knew me better than I thought.

"Seems like you made some friends behind my back. I am not sure whether to be offended or happy."

"Glad to know your back to yourself," the General laughed before pausing. "Speaking of daughters, I had our best doctor have a look at yours. It would appear despite my worst fears that she is fine. The doctors could not find a any trace of a mind control device."

"That's because he never put one in her. He thought she was too weak and useless to waste the technology on." Davis said with spite in his voice.

"How do you know that?"

"He was in my head." Davis replied.

"Hmm I see. Regardless, she is in perfect health."

Davis chuckled for a moment, "I know. I suppose I can thank him for curing my little girl, even if it was just a ploy to get me to sit in that chair... I never should have gone to him for help."

"You went to him for help?"

"Yes… Rachel was unbelievably sick; I had no one else to turn to. You should have seen it, he used one of his gizmos and she recovered before my eyes."

"I don't think anyone doubts the man was a genius."

"Of course he then convinced me that I needed the treatment as well because I had spent so much time with her. After seeing how well it had worked I graciously agreed, but…"

"It was a trick?"

Davis nodded in reply.

"I am going to need to keep him overnight for some additional testing," Sanders interjected. "We have to be sure there is no additional brain damage to worry about. Now that he is awake and responsive we can run the tests."

"I am sorry to interrupt," Ellie said, "but the Captain is wanted on the bridge."

"Of all times," Simmons sighed. "Here take this," Simmons said as he removed the watch Tails gave him. "It will give you and Ellie a chance to get to know each other. I have a suspicion it could get lonely down here."

Davis laughed, "I am sure it will."

Davis examined the watch Simmons had given him before commenting, "Where did you get a piece like this?"

"Perhaps my only other friend besides you."

"I doubt that, it seems like you got a lot of gifts before you left."

"Yes, it would seem I am building bridges instead of burning them for a change."

"How do you plan to talk to Ellie without the watch?"

"Well, she isn't just stuck in there you know. She is the one who turned off the gizmo in your head. She is everywhere onboard our ship, perhaps even the others as well. Besides, I'll still be able to speak with her using the computer at the bridge," Simmons replied as he turned towards the door. "You can give it back to me later when you're all better."

"If you could," Davis called out, "send my family down."

"Of course, but I would ask Ellie, I am sure she can find them quicker than I can."

Davis glanced down at the watch and before he could even ask, Ellie said, "They are on their way."

"Thanks, both of you." Davis said with a small sign of relief.

"Don't have such a worried look on your face Davis," Simmons said. "Everything is only going to get better. In no time at all we will be reunited with our families and on our way back home."


	39. Epilogue 2 The Other Half

Hey everyone:

Just want to let you know I added a little bit of dialog to the previous chapter to tidy up a lose end I had previously forgotten about.

Its been fun!

* * *

Tails had hardly gotten any sleep. Even though he knew he wasn't responsible for Robotnik's death, he was having trouble convincing his conscious. He wanted to laugh at himself for his weakness, but he couldn't. Robotnik was the one person he had despised more than anyone or anything and now his death rested on his hands. He had thought about ways to kill him so many times before, but he had never anticipated the guilt that went along with getting his hands dirty.

Tails tried to clear his mind as he tapped a peg into his bedroom wall. Carefully, he raised the rifle Miles had given him and rested it on the pegs. He backed up to observe his handy work. It was funny that despite the way he felt, he had chosen to hang the one thing that could remind him of that day, a day which he imagined would never be forgotten.

He reached up to tighten the strap on the rifle so that it did not hang so low. When he took a step back for the second time he herd a knocking at his door.

"Tails? Is that you?" he heard his Mother say.

Tails quickly glanced over at his clock and frowned. It was only 6:30 in the morning and there was barely even any sunlight out.

"Yes Mom," Tails replied. "I am sorry if I woke you up."

"Its alright," she said as she entered his room.

He hadn't told his mom what had happened yet, or at least not about what he had done. Tails had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate such a weapon hanging on the wall of their home, but he would just have to find a way to explain it to her.

Just as he suspected his mother froze when her eyes met the rifle that he had just hung on the wall. "Tails, is that a gun?"

Tails nodded in response.

"You know these are forbidden. Why have you brought it here? You could get in a lot of trouble."

"It's okay," Tails said reassuringly. "The King knows I have it."

"And he is letting you keep it?"

"It was a gift from one of the overlanders. It has a bit of significance to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Every hero has his weapon," Tails said softly.

His mother put her hands on his back and comforted him. "Well if the King knows you have it then I suppose I can live with it. This must be important to you if you're hanging it up so early in the morning."

Tails nodded again. He didn't want to tell her even though he knew she would find out eventually. He didn't know how history would treat him yet, so he opted to remain off the stage. He wasn't used to attention, nor did he want it.

"I am going back to bed Tails. Why don't you do the same, you look very tired," Rosemary said as she shut the door behind her.

Tails knew he had to meet the King at noon, but that seemed so far away. Perhaps sleep would do him some good. He let himself fall backwards onto his mattress, sinking deep into the down material. His eyes stayed locked onto the rifle as his mind slowly drifted off into a distant place.

* * *

Sonic wasn't sure what time of day it was, but the light was pouring through the large windows in front of him. He tried to move, but the sheets were wrapped so tightly around him he felt restrained. When he freed himself, he rolled over to his left to find Sally in the bed adjacent to his.

The hospital was one of his least favorite places. Everything was so sterile and organized it made him sick. However, as much as he hated to admit it, the bed was comfortable. He adjusted his position so that he could keep an eye on Sally. It was odd; he could almost feel her warming presence even at a distance.

"Good, you're awake," Nicole announced from the foot of Sonic's bed.

Sonic turned to face her, "Shh, Sally is sleeping."

"My apologies," Nicole replied in a whisper. "Are you feeling better?"

"I was never feeling poorly enough to be put in here."

Nicole giggled for a moment, "You are sometimes painfully ignorant."

Sonic frowned, "What gives?"

Nicole motioned towards a sleeping Sally.

"I didn't recommend to the King that you be kept overnight for your health, although given the beating you took you needed to be anyway."

"What are you saying?"

Nicole sighed, "I am saying I provided you with an excuse to be in the same room as Sally for an extended period of time."

Sonic's eyes slowly widened.

"Thanks, but I think we kind of worked everything out."

"Are you sure that's what you want your answer to be."

"Is that not good enough?"

"Well considering that Sally is awake right now I thought I would do my best to give you a second chance."

Sonic looked over at Sally who now did in fact have her eyes open, "no fair."

"Seems fair to me," Sally said. "You two kept a rather large secret from me for a lot longer."

"But…" Sonic and Nicole said simultaneously.

"Yes, I know why you did it," Sally interrupted, "but I would prefer you be more honest in the future. Both of you!"

"I never wanted to hurt you Sally, I just thought that if I…" Sonic said as he trailed off

"Got rid of Amy so that perhaps things between us would improve?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Sonic, things never needed improvement. I loved you and you knew that."

Sally watched as Sonic looked down towards the floor ashamed.

"Perhaps I should be going," Nicole said as she disappeared.

"Sonic, please don't feel bad. I don't want you to feel ashamed for something I can overlook. Just promise me you won't take any more of these unnecessary risks. Reckless life endangering decisions included."

Sonic looked back up at her, "I will try my hardest, but if I promised you that, I have no doubt that one day I would feel guilty for breaking it."

"Well, at least your being honest with me now," Sally replied with a smile. "I know it seems silly of me to ask," Sally continued but with a more serious face, "but you meant what you said yesterday right?"

Sonic locked his eyes with her. He knew he could play stupid and pretend he didn't know what she was referring to, but that would just be insulting her.

"Of course Sally, I love you and I always have."

He watched as Sally subtly breathed a sigh of relief. He felt concerned that she had to ask, but given all of the recent events he knew she just wanted to be sure.

* * *

Tails eyes snapped open when he heard a knock. Slowly he pulled himself upright as peered over at his clock. It was 10:00 A.M but the kit was still confused as to who may be looking for him. On the count of three he forced himself out of his bed and walked over to his door. He opened the door slowly, still unsure of who was on the other side. Amy stood in the doorway looking slightly worried.

"Amy? What are you doing here?"

To his surprise she embraced him and gave him a passionate kiss.

"I had to be sure of something," she whispered in his ear.

"And what exactly is it that you had to be sure of?" the beat red fox nervously asked.

"Whether you like me or not?"

Tails gulped as he backed up.

"How long?" Amy asked. "How long have you had these feelings for me and never bothered to say anything."

"You liked Sonic," Tails replied bashfully as he sat down on his bed. "I never thought you would listen to me."

"I am sorry." Amy said softly as she sat down next to Tails on the bed. She put a hand on his shoulder comforting him. "You can talk to me now."

"I am not sure how much there is to say," Tails replied almost apologetically.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"I have always liked you, its just I never knew how to tell you. Now that you know, I am still not sure what to say."

Amy looked at him, seriously studying his emotions. "Well then perhaps you don't need to say anything," Amy whispered as she leaned in to kiss him again.

Tails turned his cheek away, "Why now? Why after all this time are you speaking to me now? I have lived in Sonics shadow for years where you have barely uttered a greeting to me. Why now?"

"I… its hard to explain. I have been seeking Sonics approval for so long that I have been blinded. I thought I wanted his love, but what I really wanted was someone who loved me. I did my best to make him that person, but I couldn't. With each failure I only tried harder and became more focused. I never realized that someone other than him could have had feelings for me, that someone other than him could have been the person I was looking for. Tails, you made me realize that love works both ways. All along I have wanted someone who sees me for who I am and likes me just the same. I just never thought it would be the cute fox whom I had ignored my whole life."

Tails smiled for a moment. "What now then?"

"We make up for the time we never spent together."

Tails gently caressed Amy's cheek with the back of his hand and nuzzled her forehead. He paused for a moment, staring into the depth of her eyes searching for any reason not to believe her. Satisfied, he pulled her close again kissing her with as much passion as he could find.

When they separated they remained only inches from each other faces as they gazed into another's eyes. The two of them collapsed backwards onto Tails mattress and began to look up at the emptiness of Tail's ceiling. Amy curled up next to Tails, embracing him. The two continued to lie there in silence, enjoying the others company and the comfort of knowing that someone who cared so deeply was so close.

*******

Elias sat at the table in the main hall with his father, awaiting the others arrival. He, out of habit, always rose with the sun and as a result had spent much of the morning with his father. Although little speaking between them occurred, it was obvious they were making progress in repairing their tattered relationship. Elias looked over at the King cleared his throat.

"My boy, you must at some point do me the honor of telling me of you journeys. I must admit despite my lack of approval for them I am interested none the less."

Elias smiled, "As much as I wish they were never necessary, I would take my journey a thousand more times. The lessons I learned and the knowledge I gained were invaluable."

"Amy tells me you lived side by side with overlanders?"

"Indeed. I was surprised with their kindness and regard for life. They were unlike any of the others. More surprising was that they never asked for anything in return, let alone my name. I worked and trained side by side with them for years. It was perhaps the one place where I never had to worry about my past because no one ever asked."

"So they are the ones who trained you to fight? Sonic and Sally both mentioned your very capable abilities."

"It's not something I like to boast. Self-defense was taught to me as an art not a weapon. Despite this, I would not deprive you of the knowledge that I am a master of the art."

"And what of this meditation? Amy spoke of a source that she could tap into."

Elias smiled to himself as he thought, _is there anything that the hedgehog didn't tell him._

"We call it the source. The overlanders I lived with discovered it thousands of years ago. It is a living energy that flows through everything. If one properly concentrates they can communicate with it, opening their minds up to endless knowledge."

"That is most fascinating. And you yourself have interacted with this source."

"Yes. Many of the elders remarked at my unnatural ability to communicate with it. What took them years of training I mastered in a weeks time. None of them could explain why I was so adept at the art, but they did explain to me all of its possibilities."

"Perhaps I could shed some light on your abilities."

"What do you mean?" Elias asked.

Just as the king was about to answer, the door swung open as Sonic and Sally entered the room. Neither said anything upon their entrance; they both simply took seats at the opposite end of the table and awaited patiently for the arrival of Amy and Tails. When Elias seemed confidant that nether were going to speak he turned back towards his Father and asked, "What do you know about the source of my ability."

"Perhaps this conversation would best be saved for another time," the King said as Amy and Tails entered the room. Elias eyed them cautiously as the walked over to the table nearly hand in hand. It seemed that he wasn't the only one that noticed either because both Sonic and Sally eyed their entrance with equal amusement.

When everyone was seated the King took a moment to ensure that he had everyone's attention. "I suspect that you have some questions. We will get to those. For now I need your attention. So much has happened recently. We need to very carefully consider our future and the proper course of action. Normally I would go to our council first, but they did not put their lives on the line so that we could enjoy this future. You did."

The King took a deep breath before continuing, "While I am not suggesting that we re-write the pages of history as we see fit, I would advise some discretion as to how much of this story is told." The King said as he glanced at Tails. "By no means do I wish to undermine the sacrifices you made, but I would rather preserve the noble people that made them. So I leave it to you, how should we remember this day?"

Everyone paused for a long moment. Elias, like everyone else had grasped the gravity of the previous days events. They had freed themselves from tyranny. No longer were they forced to hide. It seemed funny that they should even consider altering their victory, after all why should they. Elias then looked at Tails and sea of emotions present in his eyes. At that point it became apparent, the question was not for them, but for Tails. He had broken a unforgivable rule to bring down their enemy and his father was offering him a chance to protect himself. Elias recalled that history can turn its backs on its heroes as time progresses even despite the sacrifices they made. Tails would be a hero today but a murderer tomorrow.

The room was filled with silence for several minuets before he spoke. "I know despite your wording you are asking me, and me alone" Tails replied. "History can remember me as it chooses, to alter it would be to live a lie. I may regret some of my decisions, but I would rather live in regret of performing a heroic act than covering one up."

The King smiled, "A most noble decision. The story of yesterdays events will be told as they occurred, and in no other way."

Everyone continued to look back at the King expecting more.

"As for the freedom fighters," he continued, "you may consider yourselves on permanent leave. Your work is done and I urge you to live the rest of your lives in as much normality as possible. Now as promised I am more than willing to answer any questions."

"Have we begun to consider moving out of this forest?" Elias asked.

"I have no doubt that it will soon cross everyone's mind," the King responded. "I suspect it will be the future of many discussions."

"What about the overlanders return?" Sally asked.

"We have much time to prepare. However, it will be necessary that everyone come to understand that they are no longer our enemies. I hope that in the coming years we can rid ourselves of the animosity. The General and I have already made several agreements that I believe are mutually beneficial."

The room was silent again and just as the King was about to motion to dismiss everyone Sonic stood up. "Sir, I rarely seek your approval for anything I do, but I feel that I do not have a choice when it comes to this matter."

"Very well Sonic, what is your request?"

Sonic paused for a moment before speaking again, "Your daughter."

Both Sally and the King looked thoroughly surprised as they stared at him in disbelief. The King quickly wiped the look off of his face an replaced it with a smile, "Sonic, as I have told you before, nothing would make me happier as a father. Should I make a formal announcement?"

"No," Sonic nearly screamed in surprise. "For a change I want to take things slowly."

Everyone in the room laughed, including Sally.

"If that is all, I would encourage each of you to begin enjoying your new lives," the King said. "Consider yourselves dismissed."

Elias watched as the two pairs left the room together. Not wanting to interrupt them he remained behind with his father. Unsure of what to do, Elias got up from his chair and headed towards the garden. The bright sun light and crisp air was refreshing compared to the cool damp air inside the castle. Elias sat on the edge of one of the fountains, letting his feet submerge into the cool water. Just as he closed his eyes he could make out the fain sound of his Father's footsteps with the distinct thud of his cane. It wasn't long before his father was sitting next to him facing the opposite direction.

"It's funny," Elias began with his eyes still closed, "the source is stronger here than anywhere else I have ever been. I assumed that it would be harder to reach once I arrived here, but it floods my senses even when I am not looking for it."

Without even opening his eyes he knew his father was smiling. It was a sense that the source was providing him with.

"Hmm, it seems that you know why that is." Elias suggested as he opened his eyes.

"What makes you so certain of that."

"The source," Elias replied.

"You can reead my thoughts then?"

"No, just your emotions. So it is true then?"

"Indeed. Our family, and likely everyone who has ever lived in this valley has a connection with the source of all. It is a secret that I would have shared with you by now, but obviously unforeseen circumstances prevented such events from occurring."

"Why this place?"

"Interestingly enough Simmons had a rather interesting theory that explained some of my questions, however, until more proof is found I am not ready to entertain them. Perhaps it would simply be best to show you what I should have long ago."

Elias raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Show me what?"

The King chuckled, "Something that would no doubt fascinate your overlander friends."

Elias helped his father back into a standing position and followed him back inside.

Elias had spent so much time in the castle when he was younger that he was sure he had found every secret passage, yet to his surprise his father produced one that he was unaware of. Behind a wardrobe was a dimly lit spiral staircase that led into the depths bellow. His father motioned for him to enter. At first he took each step cautiously unsure of what could be waiting, but soon his curiosity surpassed his fear.

In no time at all he was face to face with what appeared to be a pool of gold, but he knew better. Elias moved closer to the surface and examined his reflection. He moved even closer when he noticed that his reflection did not appear to be him, but rather an older version of himself. A faint hint of a crown could be seen on his head, but it was to hard to make out in the already gold liquid. Confused Elias reached out to touch the liquid but his Father called out to him, "I would not do that my son."

Elias had been too engrossed in the pool he hadn't heard his Father enter the room. "What is it?" Elias asked, still confused by his reflection.

"That is the source of all."

Suddenly everything became clear to Elias. This is why his ability to communicate with the source was stronger; he had been living on top of it for half of his life. This was why Amy was able to meditate just as easily as he had. This is why he found himself immersed in the source even when he wasn't looking for it.

"What happens if it is touched?" Elias inquired.

"You become bound to it, destined to feel all events before they take place. It is a curse compared to the ability you already possess. I would never wish it on another person."

"So you have bound yourself to it then?"

Elias didn't even have to look to feel his Father nod his head.

"My son, you can already communicate with the source in way our family has only dreamed of, do not condemn yourself to a life of unpredictable pain."

"But you spoke of feeling things that have yet to occur did you not?"

"I did."

Elias paused for a few moments before he stood up and looked his Father in the eyes. "I have always been told to avoid attempting to look for the future, as it is regarded as an ill omened gesture. I admit however, my curiosity has gotten the better of me on more than one occasion. I was never able to get a clear picture, only a fleeting sensation. The feelings were meaningless, or at least I thought they were. Three months ago I reached into my future, rummaging around for any sign of hope, but all I got was what felt like understanding and belongingness, two things I hadn't felt in years. Now it makes sense, I reached into this moment."

* * *

As the door closed behind them Tails exploded with energy as if he was a kid all over again.

"Hey Sonic," Tails asked, "what do you want to do with all this time off?"

Sonic looked the kit over confused. _He seemed like wreck a few minutes ago, what's gotten into him?_

"You feeling alright?" Sonic asked

"Of course I am!" Tails replied. "I am going to start living life a little more. I may not agree with what I did yesterday, but I can't change it only remind myself of it. There is no reason for me not to enjoy every moment that I can."

Sonic looked at his friend somewhat confused, "You grew up fast little cuz."

Tiles smiled, somewhat proud of himself, "Just trying to be more like my best buddy."

A few moments passed before Tails asked again, "So what do you guys want to do?"

"I just want to relax," Sonic responded as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

"Good then you will love the spot I found," Tails said as he grabbed Sonic's arm, dragging him out of the castle. Amy and Sally where only a few steps behind the two, following in curiosity.

Sonic told himself he was too tired to fight the young fox, but in reality he felt he owed it to him. He hadn't spent much time with his life long friend, or at least not doing the things friends should do.

"Wait till you see it, its an awesome pond and its filled with fish," Tails continued.

"Relax Tails, I can still walk," Sonic remarked as Tails continued to lead him towards the forest. When Tails finally released him, the two of them waited for the girls to catch up.

"After you," Sonic said as he motioned further in the woods.

Sally and Sonic walked hand in hand through the forest a modest distance behind Tails and Amy. The tension between her and Sonic was obvious, but the love they felt for each other would likely overcome it. Sonic stared strait ahead curious about the conversation Amy and Tails where having. They had been talking since they left the castle, but Sonic had only heard bits and pieces. All of it sounded innocent enough, but he hadn't ever seen the two of them together, let alone so happy before.

As the lining of trees vanished a small deep blue pond that sparkled with the suns reflection came into view. Streaks of silver moved like a wave across the pond as a school of fish fled their shadow's presence.

"See Sonic! It's here just like I said," Tails shouted, "and it's teaming with fish!"

"It's pretty nice little cuz," Sonic replied as he looked around for a place to sit down.

Tails quickly ran over to an oar boat that had been stashed away under a bush and moved it the waters edge. "Hey Sonic! Do you want to go fishing," Tails asked as he produced two fishing poles from the bottom of the boat.

Sonic looked at the fox amused, but he never was one for the water. He had a feeling the look on his face would give away his answer long before he spoke. He didn't want to disappoint his friend, but he had hoped to spend the day with Sally.

"No thanks, I think I am just going to rest up a bit, I am still a little sore," Sonic replied as he rubbed his back. "But I would be more than happy to do something that involved less water later on."

Tails looked slightly disappointed as he set one of the rods back down in the boat.

"Can I go?" Amy asked innocently?

Tails looked over at her slightly surprised. "Of course, hop in," he said motioning to the boat.

Sonic walked over to the shade of a willow tree at the far end of the pond. Its large branches stretched out well over the pond providing some much needed shade from the warm sun. The sound of Sally's laugh caught Sonics' attention. Turning around he followed her gaze out into the pond where Tails was struggling to keep the boat from tipping over. _He doesn't know what he got himself into, _Sonic thought to himself.

Sonic walked over to the base of the tree and sat down. He gently leaned his back against its soft moss covered bark as he continued to watch Tails and Amy attempt to catch fish.

"Tails, look I got one already!" Amy exclaimed as she pulled the fish into the boat. "Eww it's so slimy," she added after trying to pick it up.

Sonic changed his gaze back over to Sally who was still standing at the waters edge, most likely watching the same thing he had been. Having almost lost her again was as painful as it was the previous times it had happened. _It's ok, _he thought, _there is little to worry about now. _

Sally sat down beneath the shade of the tree right next to Sonic, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her flowing red hair brushed up against his cheek. He could feel each one of her breaths as if they where his own. She briefly shifted her weight, nudging herself closer to him, the warmth of her touch was intoxicating. She didn't speak, but her silence told him perhaps more than any words could. He was forgiven. As Sally drifted off into sleep Sonic looked out across the pond to where Tails and Amy sat fishing in the tiny boat. He couldn't help but think how odd it was that the two of them got along so well, _Amy has been barking up the wrong tree all along. _With the gentle chatter of songbirds over head, the distant laughter of two of his friends and the hypnotic rustling of the leaves, Sonic too shut his eyes. _Things are finally back to normal,_ he thought as he put his arm around Sally pulling her ever so much closer, comforting her, _it feels good to be home. _


End file.
